Her highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, the chairperson of Sharjah’s Women’s sports tournament organisation, wife of the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Sharjah Family and Community Council has announced the 8th Arab Women’s sports tournament for 2026.
What exactly is the Arab Women’s sports tournament?
The Arab Women’s sports tournament, also known as the AWST, was founded by her highness’s vision to create a space where sports meets cultural connections and opportunities for women.The AWST is a place where women across different Arab countries come to compete within various sports, the AWST provides Arab women with multiple opportunities of growth, development and international exposure. The aim is to empower female Arab athletes and sports clubs, as well as providing a dynamic space where sports excellency meets cultural exchange.
This tournament takes place under the umbrella of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees and with the advocacy of the League of Arab States. Since the beginning of the founding of the AWST in 2012, the Women’s tournament has taken place every two years.
This year a total of 67 women sports teams including 513 participating players from 16 Arab countries will compete in 9 sport categories with two of the 9 sports being newly introduced.
The participating countries include: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, LIbya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.
This Tournament is played across 10 various sport centres in 3 different cities within the Emirate of Sharjah. There will be 9 participating sport categories inducing; Athletics, Basketball, Shooting, Fencing, Archery, Rowing, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, with Taekwondo and Rowing joining the program for the first time and Basketball being their most popular sport.
The AWST will be open to the public free of charge, promoting more Arab residents to participate in supporting Arab women sports and creating unity in multiple different Arab cultures.
The opening ceremony commenced on the 2nd of February at the Al Majaz amphitheatre in Sharjah, showcasing a film with the tournament’s slogan, “Our Courts. Her Story” which depicts female athletes as ambitious, determined, confident and diverse, encouraging athletes to tell her own story on her own terms. The opening ceremony had also introduced a new official anthem for the AWST called, “Arab Women”, performed by Emirati artist Hussain Al Jassami, with music by Fayez Al Saeed and lyrics by Dr Abdul Salam Al Hammad. “Arab Women” was presented to strengthen the games cultural and media presence.
After the flags were raised, her highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Quasimi, Wife of his Highness the ruler of Sharjah, welcomed the audience and athletes with a speech.
“We are delighted to gather once again at the 8th edition of the Arab Women Sports Tournament here in the Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates—your second home, which opens its arms to your athletic talents to celebrate your victories. Witnessing the continued increase in the number of participating teams and countries, every edition, reflects the growing confidence in this tournament and its long-term vision.”
Further, her highness, Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Quasimi highlights the importance of the AWST as a core component of creating connections within Arab women, sports and strengthening the cultural bonds within Arab communities. That the AWST is a long term sustainable investment for creating a cohesive society.
