MENA athletes make Winter Olympics appearance with UAE debut

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games officially got underway on February 6th in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, with only a small number of athletes representing countries from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), as reported by The New Arab Staff on February 10th.

Five nations from the region are competing at this year’s Games, where winter sports participation has historically been limited due to warmer climates and lower levels of investment. This year’s edition, however, marks a milestone for the United Arab Emirates, which has sent its first-ever delegation to a Winter Olympics. Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Turkey are the other participating nations.

The Emirati flag was carried during the opening ceremony by alpine skiers Alexander Astridge and Piera Hudson. Astridge, who was born in the UK but grew up in the UAE, will compete in the men’s slalom, while Hudson — a former New Zealand representative — will take part in the women’s slalom and giant slalom events.

Morocco is represented by alpine skier Pietro Tranchina, who will race in the slalom and giant slalom, alongside cross-country skier Abderrahim Kemmissa in the men’s 10-kilometre freestyle. Tranchina, who is of Moroccan and Italian descent, has enjoyed a breakthrough season, becoming the first Moroccan athlete to compete regularly at World Cup level. He has previously cited both personal ties and clearer pathways to elite competition as reasons for representing Morocco.

Saudi Arabia has entered two athletes in skiing events, with Fayik Abdi returning to Olympic competition after becoming the kingdom’s first Winter Olympian at Beijing 2022. He will be joined by Rakan Alreza, who is competing in cross-country skiing.

Lebanon’s delegation includes alpine skier Samer Tawk, who is making a return to the Olympic stage after recovering from a serious training accident in 2019 that left him with multiple fractures. His comeback follows years of rehabilitation after injuries so severe that he once considered competing in the Paralympics. Lebanon is also represented by 17-year-old alpine skier Andrea El-Hayek, who has been skiing since early childhood.

Turkey has sent the region’s largest team, with eight athletes competing across alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, short-track speed skating and ski jumping. The delegation includes skiers Ada Hasirci and Thomas Kaan Onul Lang, cross-country athletes Abdullah Yilmaz and Irem Dursun, speed skaters Furkan Akar and Denis Ors, and ski jumpers Muhammed Ali Bedir and Fatih Arda Ipcioglu.

While MENA representation remains modest, the presence of these athletes highlights gradual growth and increasing ambition in winter sports across the region.

The New Arab, Maghrebi.org