Arab Games

The Arab Games (Template:Langx), also known as the Pan-Arab Games, are a regional multi-sport event held between nations from the Arab world. They are organized by the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees. The first Games took place in 1953 in Alexandria, Egypt. Intended to be held every four years since, political turmoil and financial difficulties have made the event an unstable one. Women first competed in 1985.

Complications

Typically the games are to take place every four years. Initially Lebanon was set to host the 2015 XIII Arab Games, but the country "withdrew because of the crisis in the Middle East". Following Beirut's withdrawal Morocco was then chosen to host the games, but faced financial complications and also withdrew.

The same year, Egypt volunteered to host the event. "Sheikh Khalid Al Zubair, chairman of the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC)" said, "We will be offering our full support to Egypt and we have also taken a decision to suspend the financial regulations and other requirements due to lack of time." Had the UANOC accepted Egypt's proposition the games would have taken place in December 2015; however, no such event was held.

Editions

Games	Year	Host	Opened by	Dates	Nations	Competitors			Sports	Events	Top nation
						Men	Women	Total
1	1953	Template:Flagicon Alexandria	Mohamed Naguib	26 July – 10 August	9	650	—	650	10	70	Egypt
2	1957	Template:Flagicon Beirut	Camille Chamoun	13 – 27 October	10	914	—	914	12	90	Lebanon
3	1961	Template:Flagicon Casablanca	Hassan II	24 August – 8 September	9	1127	—	1127	11	90	United Arab Republic*
4	1965	Template:Flagicon Cairo**	Gamal Abdel Nasser	2 – 14 September	14	1500	—	1500	13	90	United Arab Republic**
5	1976	Template:Flagicon Damascus	Hafez al-Assad	6 – 21 October	11	2174	—	2174	18	120	Syria
6	1985	Template:Flagicon Rabat	Hassan II	24 August – 8 September	17			3442	18	160	Morocco
7	1992	Template:Flagicon Damascus	Hafez al-Assad	4 – 18 September	18			2611	14	150	Syria
8	1997	Template:Flagicon Beirut	Elias Hrawi	13 – 27 July	18			3253	22	217	Egypt
9	1999	Template:Flagicon Amman	Abdullah II	15 – 31 August	21			5504	26	323	Egypt
10	2004	Template:Flagicon Algiers	Abdelaziz Bouteflika	24 September – 10 October	22			5525	32	330	Algeria
11	2007	Template:Flagicon Cairo	Hosni Mubarak	11 – 26 November	22			6000	32	355	Egypt
12	2011	Template:Flagicon Doha	Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani	9 – 23 December	21			6000	33	316	Egypt
13	2023	Template:Flagicon Algeria (5 cities)	Aymen Benabderrahmane (Prime Minister)	5 – 15 July	22			3800	22	253	Algeria
14	2027	Template:Flagicon Riyadh	King of Saudi Arabia (expected)	Future event
15	2031	Template:Flagicon Bahrain		Future event
16	2035	Template:Flagicon Jordan		Future event

• * United Arab Republic with Egypt and Syria.
• ** United Arab Republic with Egypt only.
• Not held in 2015 and 2019.
• 2015 Cancelled.Template:Efn

Sports

37 sports were presented in the Arab Games history. Para Sports since 1999. Women since 1985.

Sport Years Template:GamesSport since 1953 Template:GamesSport since 1953 Template:GamesSport since 1999 Template:GamesSport since 1953 Template:GamesSport since 1999 Template:GamesSport since 1953 Template:GamesSport since 2007 Template:GamesSport since 1999 Template:GamesSport since 2007 Template:GamesSport since 2011 Template:GamesSport since 1999 Template:GamesSport since 1957 Template:GamesSport TBA

Sport Years Template:GamesSport since 1957 Template:GamesSport since 1953 Template:GamesSport since 1999 Template:GamesSport since 1953 Template:GamesSport since 1985 Template:GamesSport since 1953 Template:GamesSport since 1961 Template:GamesSport since 1976 Template:GamesSport since 1976 Template:GamesSport since 1999 Template:GamesSport since 2007 Template:GamesSport since 1957

Sport Years Template:GamesSport since 1985 Template:GamesSport since 1953 Template:GamesSport since 1999 Template:GamesSport since 1999 Template:GamesSport since 1953 Template:GamesSport since 1976 Template:GamesSport since 1997 Template:GamesSport since 1961 Template:GamesSport since 1957 Template:GamesSport since 1961 Template:GamesSport since 1953 Template:GamesSport since 1953

All-time medal table

Below is the medal table of the Arab Games tournaments, up until the 13th tournament 2023.

• * The United Arab Republic (1958–1971) contains 2 countries Egypt & Syria.
• * Indonesia won medals at the 1965 Pan Arab Games.

Related Games

Arab University Games

Editions

• 1970s ?
• 1998 ?
• 2004 Template:Flagicon Amman
• 2010 ? Template:Efn
• 2018 Template:Flagicon Agadir

Arab University Beach Games

Editions

• 2016 Template:Flagicon Agadir

Arab Games for the Handicapped

Editions

• 1999 Template:Flagicon Amman
• 2003 Template:Flagicon Algiers (cancelled)

Arab School Games

Editions

Organized by the Arab Union for Physical Education and School Sports (AUPESS).

Unofficial

• 1949 Template:Flagicon Beirut
• 1951 Template:Flagicon Cairo
• 1952 Template:Flagicon Damascus
• 1954 Template:Flagicon Beirut

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Official

1963 Template:Flagicon Kuwait City 1964 not held 1966 Template:Flagicon Damascus 1971 Template:Flagicon Baghdad 1973 Template:Flagicon Beirut (women were first allowed to participate) 1975 Template:Flagicon Alexandria 1977 Template:Flagicon Tripoli 1979 Template:Flagicon Mogadishu 1986 Template:Flagicon Tunis 0000 not held

0000 not held 1998 ? 2000 not held 2002 Template:Flagicon Beirut 2004 ? 2006 Template:Flagicon Algiers 2008 Template:Flagicon Amman 2010 ? 2012 Template:Flagicon Kuwait City

See also

• African Games
• Asian Games
• GCC Games
• All-Africa University Games

Sources

• Bell, Daniel (2003). Encyclopedia of International Games. McFarland and Company, Inc. Publishers, Jefferson, North Carolina. Template:ISBN.

External links

• Athletics medalists
• Arab Games 2007 website (archived 20 September 2008)
• Arab Games 2011 official website (archived 28 January 2011)
• Arab Games 2011 Exhibition and Timeline (archived 7 October 2011)