Saudi Arabia announces sporting mega-event

Saudi Arabia said Wednesday it will hold its biggest sporting event next month, with 6,000 athletes expected to participate, the latest extravaganza in a push to soften its ultra-conservative image.

The "Saudi Games" will be held in Riyadh between March 23 and April 1 and will feature 40 sports -- including swimming, athletics, archery, badminton and basketball -- that will be open to men and women, officials said.

"I (am) proud to launch the biggest sporting event in the kingdom's history," said the Saudi sports minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki. The top prize reserved for gold medalists is one million riyals (USD 267,000), organisers said.

The announcement came a day after King Salman upgraded the government body overseeing sports to a full ministry, reflecting its growing importance in the kingdom's reform efforts.

It comes amid growing fears over the coronavirus epidemic, while Saudi Arabia itself has far reported no cases of the disease.

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