NEOM, the futuristic city project in northwest Saudi Arabia, is gearing up to host the second edition of the NEOM Beach Games, a series of international sports events that will feature over 800 athletes and staff members from around the world. The Games will run from October 21 to November 24, 2023, and will include five different sports: triathlon, beach soccer, 3×3 basketball, mountain biking, and sport climbing.
The NEOM Beach Games aims to showcase NEOM’s vision of innovation and human potential, as well as to attract visitors and investors to the region. NEOM is an acronym for New Future, and it is a planned cross-border city that will cover an area of 26,500 square kilometers and will be powered by renewable energy sources.
The Games will kick off with the Grand Finale of the short course Super League Triathlon NEOM on October 21, where the triathletes will compete in three formats: Triple Mix, Equalizer, and Enduro. The triathlon event will be followed by a NEOM Beach Soccer Cup competition from October 25 to 28, featuring eight teams from four continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. The teams will play in a round-robin group stage followed by knockout matches.
The next event will be a three-day international NEOM FIBA 3×3 Challenger basketball competition from November 2 to 4. This will be one of the qualifying events for the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final 2023, which will be held in Miami, USA. The top two teams from the Challenger will earn a ticket to the Final.
The renowned NEOM Titan Desert Saudi Arabia desert mountain bike race will return to the region for the second time on November 14, featuring 230 male and female riders for a four-stage event, covering 80-120 kilometers per stage. The race will have different terrains and challenges, such as sand dunes, rocky mountains, and coastal roads.
The Games will culminate with the introduction of an international sport climbing event, NEOM IFSC Masters, from November 22 to 24. This event will involve some world champions and Olympians from the sport climbing discipline, which was recently added to the Olympic program.
The Games will also involve 50 volunteers from the NEOM community, who will help to ensure a smooth and enjoyable event for all spectators and athletes. The volunteer program is open to those aged 18 years and over.
Jan Paterson, Managing Director of Sport at NEOM, said: “We are excited once again to be hosting the NEOM Beach Games, and it is a privilege to work with national federations and international rights-holders as we aspire to be a natural home for global sports events. The inclusion of the International Federation of Sport Climbing in this year’s games is exciting, aligning with our goals to build a high-performance culture and inspire the next generations of athletes across the Kingdom.”
For more information about the NEOM Beach Games, you can visit their official website or follow their social media accounts. You can also check out some of the videos and photos from the previous edition of the Games.