Saudi Horseback Archery Team

The Saudi Horseback Archery Team is the riders team that represents the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in international horseback archery competitions. The team members were selected by the Saudi Equestrian Federation, which oversees the sport. In January 2023, the team qualified for the World Cup by securing first place in the qualifiers held in South Africa, competing against twelve other countries.

Historically, horseback archery has been one of the martial skills practiced in ancient forms of equestrianism, using swords, spears, and bows from horseback. This sport has evolved into a globally recognized competitive event with scheduled championships. The Saudi Equestrian Federation officially included it in their competitions in 2020.

The Saudi Horseback Archery Team possesses essential equestrian skills in addition to proficiency in archery. Their competitions rely on rhythm and balance, requiring riders to coordinate movements flexibly and precisely. The team was formed after evaluating the capabilities of riders through local archery competitions organized by the Saudi Equestrian Federation. Recently, the Saudi Equestrian Federation introduced the Saudi Equestrian Archery Cup starting from March 2023 to enhance competition levels.

The Saudi team qualified for the World Cup consists of: rider Abdulmalik al-Khuraif, rider Mohammed al-Dhufayan, rider Abdulhamid al-Aboud, rider Hisham al-Tamimi, and coach rider Fahd Rashid al-Khuraif.

Rider Abdulmalik al-Khuraif won the individual heats championship by securing first place overall after achieving first place in the Mongolian heat, the sequential heat, and the Russian heat. Rider Mohammed al-Dhufayan also secured third place in the Persian heat, and in the plate heat, riders Abdulhamid al-Aboud and Mohammed al-Dhufayan took second and third places, respectively.