Special Olympics Middle East & North Africa is one of Special Olympics’ global seven regions, comprising of 22 countries; Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Iran. Special Olympics is a global movement of people creating a new world of inclusion and community, where every single person is accepted and welcomed, regardless of ability or disability. We are helping to make the world a better, healthier and more joyful place -- one athlete, one volunteer, one family member at a time. The first Special Olympics MENA regional games were held in 1999 in Egypt with the participation of 210 athletes and 89 coaches. In 2019, the region will be hosting its first-ever Special Olympics World games, the world's largest humanitarian and sporting event. The games will be held from 14-21 March 2019 in Abu Dhabi (UAE), with the participation of 7,000 athletes from 170 countries, under the guidance of 2,500 coaches and delegates.
