Riyadh was named as host of the 2034 Asian Games by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Wednesday.
An executive board meeting of the OCA in Oman unanimously approved the proposal to pick Saudi Arabia as host of the 2034 edition and Qatar as the 2030 games venue.
Voting was delayed by hours after technical problems with the online system, in place to allow some national olympic committees to participate remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I apologise for the technical problem we are facing during our voting," said Sheikh Ahmad.
"I will be glad to have two games in west Asia, to be honest," he added.
Doha hosted the Asian Games in 2006 while Saudi Arabia has never organised an OCA multi-sport event.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Saudi Arabia's sports minister, said "when we say the games are a national priority, we mean it".
"It has unwavering political and public support," he said.
"Sport has changed social life in the kingdom, especially for women."
Prince Abdulaziz pointed to Saudi's hosting of major boxing clashes and planning for next year's Formula One as proof of the kingdom's readiness for the Asian Games.
Ng Ser Miang, the chairman of the OCA advisory committee and vice president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said the proposed hosting solution between Saudi Arabia and Qatar was akin to the IOC decision to award the Olympics to Paris in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2028.
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
