KARACHI: The national olympic committee of Saudi Arabia recently recognised bridge as a sport and bridge committee of its subsidiary Saudi Arabian Federation for Electronic and Intellectual Sports (SAFEIS) on its request was affiliated with World Bridge Federation (WBF) and Bridge Federation of Asia and Middle East (BFAME) as a member National Bridge Organisation (NBO).

Saudi representative teams will be participating in Asian Games in Jakarta in August this year as well as in World Bridge Championship in Orlando, US in September 2018.

This landmark development resulted from a visit last month to Riyadh of Mazhar Jafri WBF senior vice-president from Pakistan and his successful meetings with Saudi Arabian sports authorities including NOC and SAFEIS President Prince Faisal Bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud.

This epoch making achievement will not only bolster promotion and development of the Intellectual sport of Bridge in Saudi Arabia and in other countries of the Middle East and West Asia but it will also boost the image of Saudi Arabia as a moderate Islamic state in consonance with dynamic policies of Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2018