Under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the third edition of the Saudi Games will commence in Riyadh on Thursday. From October 3 to 17, athletes will compete in 52 individual and team sports, including 7 Paralympic sports, 10 demonstration sports, and 15 youth sports. On this occasion, the Minister of Sport, President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC), and Chairman of the Supreme Organizing Committee for the Saudi Games Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal expressed his gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for sponsoring the third edition of the Saudi Games. He noted that this patronage reflects the leadership's strong interest in the sports sector and its generous support for developing sports in the Kingdom, empowering athletes to be the future's nucleus and to represent their country in international forums. In a press statement, Prince Abdulaziz said, "The enthusiasm and support that all athletes receive from the Custo dian of the Two Holy Mosques, and the unprecedented backing from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, reflect the reality of sports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The country is steadily moving towards achieving the aspirations and goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which has propelled sports in our beloved homeland to continue to excel and develop, making the Kingdom a hub for sporting events." He added, "Hosting the Saudi Games for the third consecutive year puts Saudi sports in the position it deserves both locally and globally. We are working hard to elevate the level of Saudi sports competitions to develop a promising generation of athletes who will represent the Kingdom in various regional and international events." The Saudi Games is the largest national sporting event in the Kingdom's history. Participating athletes compete for prizes totaling over SAR200 million. Gold medalists will receive SAR1 million, silver medalists SAR300,000, and bronze medalists SAR100,000. In the youth category, gold medalists w ill receive SAR100,000, silver medalists SAR50,000, and bronze medalists SAR25,000. Source: Saudi Press Agency