When it comes to hot favorites at any major sporting event, we tend to think of individual athletes and teams. Yet the surest winner is the country holding the event. On average, host nations of Summer Olympic Games win about 20 more medals than they did four years earlier,i and nine of the 15 countries that have hosted the Olympics since 1948 have set their all-time highest medal total.ii A regional example of the phenomenon is Qatar, which won 32 medals at the 2006 Doha Asian Games compared with just 17 four years earlier.iii
The reasons behind these performance spikes are numerous, from the raucous support of home crowds to the fact that host countries automatically qualify for all team and many individual events. Yet another primary factor in that success level is focus: Host nations want their athletes to excel. And focus can be applied by any nation. Arab countries could benefit from taking a more systematic approach to developing athletes and investing in their future success, whether they host the Olympics or not.
Many smaller countries dramatically outperformed at the 2024 Paris games, providing inspiration for Arab nations
Medals won by country
1Arab League countries are Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
Source: https://www.unescwa.org/sites/default/files/pubs/pdf/demographic-trends-arab-region-1950-2030-english.pdf; https://www.espn.com/olympics/summer/2024/medals; https://www.olympedia.org/
How can the region’s countries achieve greater sporting success? Below, we provide a road map for Arab countries to achieve Olympic success, creating a self-reinforcing ecosystem from grassroots participation to the identification and development of high-potential talent and the emergence of world-class athletes, all underpinned by strong governance and coherent strategies that allocate resources efficiently and maintain accountability.
Achieving sporting success is not easy, but it’s worth the effort given its tangible and intangible benefits, which include driving economic performance, generating political and diplomatic influence, encouraging social cohesion, instilling national pride, and inspiring citizens. Besides: Isn’t it simply time for more Arab athletes to stand on the medal podium? The region’s anthems should be ringing around the world.
By adopting a structured, long-term approach to talent development and high-performance support, Arab nations can cultivate a new generation of athletes capable of competing on the world stage. In so doing, they can leapfrog other countries by learning from international experience, tailoring approaches to local contexts, and quickly working to achieve Olympic success commensurate with the region’s share of the global population. It will not be easy. Many countries are investing heavily and becoming more successful, and a finite number of medals are available to be won. But it’s essential to join the race.
Media clips
A pathway to Olympic glory for the Arab world – Interview with Johnny Yaacoub
The Arab world represents over 5% of the global population but has accounted for only 1.4% of Olympic medals in recent editions. In this interview with Al Arabiya, Johnny Yaacoub discusses the key findings of the Pathway to Olympic Glory report and outlines what it takes to build a high-performance sports ecosystem in the region.
A pathway to Olympic glory for the Arab world
Contact us
Menu