Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 30, 2019: The inaugural Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee (SAOC) Awards were held last week in Riyadh with former President Prince Sultan bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz receiving the highest distinction.
This award was presented to him in recognition of his leadership and achievements. During his Presidency from 1999-2011, SAOC was recognised as one of the most successful Olympic Committees in Asia with tangible results both in management and on the sports field.
“His actions and dedication for sport and the Olympic Movement was second to none,” a SAOC statement said.
SAOC President Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said: “We are very satisfied with this event which we will host annually and it will surely go bigger next year after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as we expect to present more awards to athletes, people and organisations that are tirelessly contributing to sports development in the Kingdom."
Other awards presented during the ceremony on December 25 included:
* Women and sport award
* Best sport event of the year
* Sport promotion and development
* Sponsor award
On the same day, the SAOC also held its 23rd General Assembly chaired by Prince Abdul Aziz.
The major highlight was the election of Adwa Alarifi as a SAOC Board member. She is the second woman to be elected to the Board, confirming the organisation’s ambition to continue raising the status of women in sport.