Hadi Soua'an

Hadi Soua'an al-Somaily (born in 1971) is a Saudi track and field athlete and Olympic medalist. Representing Damac Club in athletics, he made history by being the first Saudi athlete to lift the Saudi flag on the global Olympic stage. Recognized for his exceptional talent, the specialized magazine Track & Field News ranked him fourth among the world's top ten athletes.

Hadi Soua'an was born in Taif Governorate, and his family later moved to Khamis Mushayt City. This allowed him to join Damac Club at a young age. He trained in football, specifically as a goalkeeper, but an athletics coach encouraged him to enroll in athletics at the club after noticing his height and physique. Hadi Soua'an completed all levels of his education in Khamis Mushayt Governorate before moving to Riyadh City to pursue his studies at Physical Education College.

Hadi Soua'an won numerous gold medals in the four hundred m hurdles at various international and continental championships. These include the Asian Athletics Championships in 2000 in Jakarta and 2005 in South Korea, the Arab Games in 1999 in Oman and 2004 in Algeria, and two gold medals in the 2002 Asian Games in both the four hundred m hurdles and the four m by four hundred m relay, as well as gold in the four hundred m hurdles at the 2002 West Asian Games in Kuwait. Additionally, he ranked fourth in the 2001 World Championships in Athletics in Canada, preceded by a bronze medal at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia.

In 2000, Hadi Soua'an won the silver medal in the four hundred m hurdles at the Sydney Olympics, becoming the first Saudi athlete to raise the Saudi flag at the global Olympic Games. Upon his return to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Soua'an was welcomed by King Fahd Bin Abdulaziz, followed by a reception from King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Crown Prince at the time). After this achievement, he was showered with honors. He ranked fourth in a poll by the US magazine 'Track & Field News' among the top ten runners globally. Additionally, he was awarded the Golden Medal of Excellence from the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Medal of Distinction from the Arab League.

After years of achievements in all the competitions he participated in, Hadi Soua'an announced his retirement from athletics in 2006. After his retirement, he served as a member of the Athletes' Committee at the Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee and worked on several committees. In addition to that, he served as a member of the board of directors of the Saudi Athletics Federation and currently heads the Saudi Olympians Association.