Under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the opening of the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games tomorrow, continuing until 21 November, with participation from 57 Islamic countries.

The Islamic Solidarity Games unites the Islamic Solidarity Sports Association’s (ISSA) member National Olympic Committees, providing a platform to celebrate peace and diversity.

The 6^th edition marks a return to Saudi Arabia, where the inaugural Islamic Solidarity Games was held in 2005.

It will feature 3,500 of the best athletes from the 57 competing countries, participating across 23 sports until the Closing Ceremony on 21 November.

Events have already begun in Futsal, Volleyball and Boxing. The other sports on the programme are Athletics, Para Athletics, 3x3 Basketball, Camel Racing, Duathlon, Equestrian, Esports, Fencing, Handball, Judo, Ju-jitsu, Karate, Muay Thai, Para Powerlifting, Swimming, Taekwondo, Table Tennis, Weightlifting, Wrestling and Wushu.

Competition will be staged across four venue clusters, delivering a sustainable hosting model which will inspire future editions of the Islamic Solidarity Games.

Minister of Sport, President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and President of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Association Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal stated, "This royal patronage highlights the importance of joint Islamic action and the support for cooperation among the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Sport serves as a vital bridge for fostering peace, unity, and understanding."

"We are excited to host over 3,000 athletes competing in more than 22 different sports and are committed to delivering an exceptional event that showcases the Kingdom's organizational capabilities," he added.

The Islamic Solidarity Games are a major event in the Islamic world, fostering fair competition, promoting values of peace and brotherhood, and reinforcing Saudi Arabia's commitment to unity among Islamic nations.

[Source: ISSA] The Islamic Solidarity Sports Association (ISSA) will conduct a series of on-site inspection visits to Uzbekistan, Malaysia and Iran, following the official submission of their bids to host the 2029 Islamic Solidarity Games.

The visits represent a key milestone in the continued development of the Islamic Solidarity Games, as ISSA works to strengthen the event’s future and expand opportunities for countries to host major multi-sport events.

They also come as the countdown continues to the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games – Riyadh 2025, which will bring together athletes from 57 countries in a celebration of sport, unity and shared values.

ISSA Secretary General Nasser Majali welcomed the strong interest from the candidate countries, noting that it reflects the growing stature of the Islamic Solidarity Games and their increasing role in advancing sport at both regional and international levels.

“It is extremely encouraging to see three passionate and capable countries come forward to host the next edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games,” said Majali.

“These inspection visits represent a key phase in the evaluation process to ensure the Games are delivered to the highest standards for our athletes and National Olympic Committees, in full partnership with the host country.

“They also reaffirm ISSA’s commitment to enabling more member countries to benefit from hosting major international sports events and contributing to the continued development of sport across all regions.”

Following an initial evaluation process, six member countries submitted formal letters of interest to ISSA to host the next edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games. After further discussions and assessments, Uzbekistan, Malaysia and Iran proceeded to submit their full hosting bids.

The inspection visits are being led by the ISSA Secretary General, accompanied by members of the ISSA Sport Commission, to review the candidate countries’ facilities, infrastructure and organizational plans ahead of the final hosting decision.

The Riyadh 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games will welcome around 3,500 athletes from 57 countries, competing across 23 sports from 7 to 21 November 2025, marking the event’s return to Saudi Arabia two decades after the inaugural edition in 2005.