Only a small number of athletes from the MENA region will represent their countries at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy, with the UAE sending its first-ever delegation to a Winter Games.
Meanwhile, Karim Benzema scored a hat-trick on his debut for Al-Hilal following a controversial move from Al-Ittihad, while the region's teams yielded mixed results in last week's CAF Champions League games.
MENA Winter Olympians land in Italy for Milan Cortina Games
The 2026 Winter Olympics kicked off in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo on Friday, bringing in the world's greatest winter sports stars, seeking to break world records and win gold medals in various events.
During the Winter Games, however, representation from the Middle East and North Africa has generally been limited due to the region's mostly warmer climes and a lack of investment or interest in winter sports.
Five nations from the region will compete this year, with history being made as the UAE has sent its first-ever delegation to the Winter Olympics.
Carrying the Emirati flag during the ceremony in Cortina were alpine skiers Alexander Astridge, who was born in the UK but lived in the UAE for most of his life, and Piera Hudson, who once represented New Zealand.
Astridge will compete in the men’s slalom in alpine skiing, while Hudson will represent the UAE in the women’s slalom and giant slalom, also in the alpine skiing event.
Morocco, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are the other participating nations from the region.
The North African country is represented by skier Pietro Tranchina, who is of Moroccan and Italian descent, and will compete in the slalom and giant slalom events.
The 22-year-old has been on a history-making season, becoming the first Moroccan athlete to race regularly at the World Cup level in the discipline.
Italian-born Tranchina said his close relationship with his mother influenced his decision to represent Morocco, adding that the North African nation also "offered him a clearer pathway to elite competition".
Morocco's other representative is cross-country skier Abderrahim Kemmissa, who will compete in the 10-kilometre freestyle.
Saudi Arabia will also see two athletes competing under its flag, also in skiing.
Fayik Abdi will be seen in the men’s slalom and giant slalom, whereas Rakan Alreza will also compete in the men’s 10-kilometre freestyle cross-country skiing event.
Four years ago, Abdi became the Gulf kingdom’s first-ever Winter Olympian when he competed in Beijing 2022.
Kemmissa and Alreza will be joined by Lebanese skier Samer Tawk, who previously competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, in South Korea.
Tawk has made a remarkable recovery to compete in Italy after suffering a career-threatening injury in 2019, which saw him fall approximately 14 metres during training, which left him with multiple fractures. The severity of his injuries was so bad that Tawk considered competing in the Paralympics. However, a long rehabilitation process saw him recover and led him to compete in the Olympics again.
Lebanon’s second representative is 17-year-old alpine skier, Andrea El-Hayek, who has been training on the slopes since the tender age of two.
Turkey has sent the region’s biggest delegation, comprising eight athletes spanning four different sporting events.
Skiers Ada Hasirci and Thomas Kaan Onul Lang will be taking part in the slalom events.
Cross-country skiers Abdullah Yilmaz and Irem Dursun will both take part in the men’s and women’s 10-kilometre freestyle, respectively.
Yilmaz is also competing in the men’s sprint.
Short-track speed skaters Furkan Akar and Denis Ors will feature in the men’s 500 metres, while ski jumpers Muhammed Ali Bedir and Fatih Arda Ipcioglu will represent their nation in the men’s normal and giant hill events.
Benzema makes perfect debut with Al-Hilal with a hat-trick
Football superstar Karim Benzema scored a hat-trick on his debut for Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal, days after making a shock move to the club from Al-Ittihad.
The 38-year-old scored the three goals against relegation-battling Al-Akhdoud, who lost 6-0 at home to the SPL giants.
Al-Hilal had initially opened the scoreline via Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who cleverly chipped the ball past goalkeeper Samuel in the 19th minute. The goal, however, was disallowed following a VAR check.
Benzema eventually scored the game's opener in the 31st minute, backheeling the ball following a failed attempt from Salem Al-Dawsari, in a dream start for the Frenchman at his new club.
Fifteen minutes into the second half, Benzema doubled Al-Hilal’s lead, coolly slotting the ball past Al-Akhdoud’s goal.
The former Real Madrid man went on to complete the hat-trick a few minutes later, thumping the ball in the 64th minute after Milinkovic-Savic picked out the Frenchman with a low cross.
This marks Benzema’s sixth hat-trick in the Saudi Pro League, where he started playing in 2023 after signing with Al-Ittihad from Real Madrid.
Al-Hilal took advantage of their opponents’ tiredness and lack of pressing, paving the way for Malcolm and Al-Dawsari to score Al-Hilal’s three other goals, cementing their lead and title hopes in the Saudi Pro League.
Benzema’s move to Al-Hilal proved to be a shock and surprising one in the world of football, which came as a result of a contract dispute.
The Frenchman reportedly rejected a contract extension offered by Al Ittihad, calling it "disrespectful".
The Al-Ittihad deal from the Saudi Pro League, which handles the contracts of the main players in PIF-owned clubs, would effectively have seen Benzema play for free, according to reports.
Mixed bag for region's teams in CAF Champions League
Teams from the region produced mixed results in the African Champions League competition last week, with only Egypt’s Al Ahly and Pyramids securing their places in the quarterfinals, with one round of matches remaining.
Pyramids FC cruised past Nigerian outfit Rivers United with 4-1 on Sunday, who now sit with 13 points atop their group and a guaranteed place in the next round.
They hold a significant lead over Morocco's RS Berkane, who trail behind in second place with seven points, and uncertainty over qualification.
The Moroccan side, the surprise winners of last season’s Botola championship, lost 2-0 on Saturday to Zambia’s Power Dynamos.
In Group B, Al-Ahly secured qualification but has not yet guaranteed first place in the group, which would avoid facing tougher opponents in the next round.
The Cairo side only managed a draw against Algeria’s JS Kabylie, and will need a similar result against AS FAR of Morocco. The Rabat outfit beat Young Africans of Tanzania 1-0 on Saturday, and sit in second place in Group B with their Egyptian rivals.
The Moroccan team also needs a draw to secure their place in the next round.
Sudan’s Al-Hilal, despite their 2-1 defeat to MC Alger on Friday, are also leading their group, and have a strong chance of qualifying as winners of Group C.
MC Alger face a tough challenge to defend their second-place position as they travel to South Africa to face giants Mamelodi Sundowns, who reached the CAF Champions League final last year.
Esperance de Tunis risks failing to qualify for the next round if they lose their final match against Petro de Luanda of Angola. The Tunisian team lost to Stade Malien 1-0 on Sunday.
The remaining team from the region, JS Kabylie, has no chance of qualifying as they sit at the bottom of Group B.