{
  "id": 9534436,
  "title": "Syria to host Arab Cycling Championship in first major sports event for 19 years",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/syria-to-host-arab-cycling-championship-in-first-major-sports-event-9534436",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-24T09:10:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/cycling/2026/09/24/syria-to-host-arab-cycling-championship-in-first-major-sports-event-for-19-years/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Syria is set to host the Arab Cycling Championship next month, marking the country's first major sports event in 19 years. The championship, which will take place from October 2-13 in Damascus, will be the first time regional athletes return to Syria since 2007, when the nation hosted youth football and volleyball tournaments. Seventeen Arab nations, including Syria, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Libya, and Morocco, will compete in three categories: road cycling, para-cycling, and mountain biking. The event is expected to draw around 10,000 individuals, comprising athletes, coaches, staff, officials, media, volunteers, organizers, and spectators. Mazen Al Salhani, Syria's Minister of Tourism, emphasized the significance of the championship in restoring confidence in Syria's capability to host international events and its gradual reintegration into the regional sporting calendar. The civil war that plagued Syria ended in 2024, and President Ahmad Al Shara has prioritized rebuilding the country's sports infrastructure, with cycling being a key platform to showcase Syria's cities and landscapes.",
  "summary": "Syria will host next month's Arab Cycling Championship – the first time a regional sports event has been staged in the country for 19 years. Syria last welcomed overseas athletes in 2007, when it hosted Arab youth football and volleyball tournaments. That will change when some of the region's leading cyclists arrive in the country to compete at the event, held between October 2-13. Preparations…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Syria to host Arab Cycling Championship in first major sports event for 19 years",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/syria-to-host-arab-cycling-championship-in-first-major-sports-event",
        "published": "2026-09-24T09:10:27.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}