UAE will be represented by 14 athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The UAE's participation in the 33rd Summer Olympic Games hosted by Paris, France, from July 26 to August 11, 2024, was unveiled by the National Olympic Committee (NOC). The event will feature 10,500 athletes from 200 National Olympic Committees competing in 32 sports across 329 events at 35 venues, with the presence of 20,000 media representatives and 45,000 volunteers. The Games will include 754 events, alongside 350,000 hours of television broadcast.
The UAE delegation comprises 14 athletes accompanied by 24 administrative, technical, and medical staff. The athletes will participate in five sports: equestrian, judo, cycling, swimming, and athletics. Notably, the national equestrian team participating in the show jumping competition includes Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi, Abdullah Al Marri, Omar Al Marzouqi, Salem Al Suwaidi, and Ali Al Karbi, with four of them to be selected for final participation by the technical staff in the coming days.
The national judo team includes five male athletes and one female athlete: Narmand Bayan (under 66 kg), Talal Shvili (under 81 kg), Aram Gregorian (under 90 kg), Dhafer Aram (under 100 kg), Omar Marouf (over 100 kg), and female athlete Bashirat Kharoudi (under 52 kg in women's lightweight).
Cyclist Safia Al Sayegh will compete in the road race, marking the first time an Emirati female cyclist has qualified for the Olympics. Swimmer Yousef Rashid Al Matroushi will compete in the 100m freestyle, and swimmer Maha Abdullah Al Shehi will compete in the 200m freestyle. Runner Maryam Mohammed Al Farsi will compete in the 100m race.
Omar Al Marzouqi has the honor of carrying the UAE flag at the opening ceremony, which will take place outside the stadium for the first time, on the Seine River with about 160 boats of all types and sizes.
The announcement was made during a press conference held by the National Olympic Committee at the Shindagha Museum in Dubai. Faris Mohammed Al Mutawaa, Secretary General of the NOC, opened the conference with a speech expressing gratitude to H. H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and President of the National Olympic Committee, for his support and keen direction to provide all means and facilities to help athletes perform their role in the best possible way, achieving the ultimate goal of participation and enhancing the sustainability of achievements and recording more successes in the name of UAE sports and striving to raise the national flag in the largest sports forums.
Al Mutawaa continued by congratulating the sports federations participating in the Paris Olympic Games, who have worked diligently over the past four years to reach this historic moment awaited by athletes from all over the world. He also expressed his confidence in the UAE delegation participating in the Olympic Games and reiterated his confidence in the participating athletes, trusting their abilities to repeat the Olympic achievements and solidify the country's position and presence in the Olympic forums.
He confirmed the entire UAE delegation's commitment to supporting the athletes throughout the event.
The Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee announced the inauguration of the UAE House in Paris, coinciding with the UAE's participation in the Olympic Games. It will showcase authentic national heritage and cultural legacies. The UAE House will be open from July 27 to August 11, from 10 AM to 8 PM, offering various activities and events, including a program for visits by UAE Olympians. The sports councils in the country are invited to attend the UAE delegation's competitions and the Olympic events, as well as to visit the UAE House.