Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, July 17, 2023: Team Saudi has returned home from the 15th Pan Arab Games in Algeria after finishing 10th of 18 countries with 45 medals: 7 gold, 9 silver and 29 bronze.
At the closing ceremony on Saturday, July 15, the President of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees (UANOC), HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, handed HH Prince Fahd bin Jalawi, head of the Saudi delegation and SOPC VP, the flag of the UANOC and announced Saudi Arabia would host the 16th edition in 2027.
Saudi Arabia competed in 17 sports and performed best in karate, weightlifting and table tennis with two gold medals in each; Saudi Arabia won the most medals in karate with 11 – 2 gold, 1 silver and 8 bronze.
International and continental participation caused the absence of some distinguished athletes, such as Abdullah Abkar, who won the Asian Athletics Championships 100m silver medal in Bangkok, and the Saudi national fencing team, which is preparing for the World Championship in Milan.
However, the SOPC was keen to participate with young men and women, as the percentage of those under 23 years of age reached 46 per cent. This allowed them to participate in an international multi-sport event, gain rich experience and compete against athletes from other Arab countries.
Algeria came first with 253 medals (105-76-72), Tunisia second with 121 (23-47-51) and Morocco third with 84 medals (21-38-25).
