Saudi Arabia postpones Saudi Games over coronavirus

Saudi Arabia has postponed the upcoming Saudi Games, set to be the Kingdom’s largest sporting event, until further notice over coronavirus fears, the organizing committee said.

The games were due to run from March 23 to April 1, with more than 6,000 athletes from the Kingdom’s 13 regions, both men and women, expected to participate.

The decision was made on the recommendations of the committee concerned with taking the necessary preventive measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Saudi Arabia registered four more cases on Sunday, raising the total to 11. Other Gulf states have registered more cases, many of them linked to travel from Iran.

Meanwhile, Saudi Press Agency reported that the Kingdom is suspending all schools, universities and educational institutions starting on Monday until further notice as part of efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.

The decision to suspend school came on the same day the Kingdom imposed a temporary lockdown on the eastern Qatif province to prevent the spread of coronavirus after 11 people there were infected.

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