• Five local talents also featured in 200-strong field featuring world’s best riders
  • Additional 160km CEI 3* competition locked in for Sunday ahead of 2026 World Endurance Championships
  • Tickets available through experiencealula.com

AlUla, Saudi Arabia – Saeed Al Naimi from Qatar sealed a sensational victory in the 2024 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup on Saturday afternoon, overcoming a strong challenge from runner-up Fares Abu Ras of Saudi Arabia to win the flagship international endurance event in AlUla.

Al Naimi completed the challenging 120km route on his ride Guilen Fantasia in a classified time of 05:22:01, finishing 1:14 ahead of Abu Ras and 23:19 minutes in front of Hamad Al Tamimi from UAE who completed the top three.

Incredible individual displays of speed, stamina, and strategic pace management by the trio saw them take top honors ahead of a 200-strong field that boasted the world’s greatest, most renowned riders.

The riders who featured in the CEI 2* competition represented a total of 50 counties with a total SAR 15 million prize pot on offer. A new world record for an endurance event, these factors – together with regional royalty, VIPs, and global audiences in attendance – further highlighted the ever-growing prestige of the Endurance Cup in this record-extending fifth edition.

Organised by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) in partnership with the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) and the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation (SAEF), the event was an outstanding occasion like always at AlFursan Equestrian Village – providing inspiring shows sportsmanship and equestrian excellence as promised.

Prince Abdullah bin Fahd bin Abdullah, President of SAEF, added: “We extended our congratulations to Saeed Al Naimi and every rider who competed – their performances helped pave the way for an experience that audiences will remember for many years to come. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup is one of the biggest endurance events on the Saudi Equestrian calendar and this edition has shown why such events in the Kingdom are held in such high regard regionally and internationally.”

Abeer Al Akel, Acting CEO of RCU, commented: “The 2024 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup has been an incredible success in every way possible. From riders and trainers to spectators and partners, everybody involved has played their part in making this edition so special. We extend our congratulations to the champion and all who participated.”

In the aftermath of his famous victory, Saeed Al Naimi said: “I’m really proud to have won this competition and competed against so many talented riders from different countries - it was a very difficult contest but I’m delighted to have made it back first in the end. The track was challenging throughout, but I loved riding out there. The experience was great and I’m already looking forward to coming back in the future.”

Underlining RCU efforts to empower and involve the AlUla community as part of its wider equine objectives, five local riders also participated in the 2024 edition as part of the development program under RCU’s equine strategy – which offers training, advice, technical support, and events experience.

Next up at AlFursan Equestrian Village is an additional 160km CEI 3* competition tomorrow. A prelude to the 2026 FEI World Endurance Championships in AlUla, 67 riders – including one from AlUla – will compete with a prize pot of SAR 5 million on offer.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup is one of the marquee sports events in the AlUla Moments Calendar of events and festivals, spanning a large number of other heritage sports events such as the AlUla Camel Cup, AlUla Falcon Cup, the Tent Pegging World Championship and Horseback Archery World Cup.

For more information and to book tickets, kindly visit experiencealula.com.

For further information, please contact: alulamoments@hkstrategies.com

About AlUla Moments:

AlUla Moments is AlUla’s new home for events. AlUla Moments calendar was launched at the end of 2021 and introduced new festivals and events to celebrate and unlock AlUla’s stories, uncover its secrets, and celebrate local and international cultures. With 7,000 years of civilisations and home to some of the most sophisticated ancient kingdoms of antiquity, AlUla is no stranger to social gatherings and cultural celebrations.

AlUla Moments calendar comprises of five festivals offering diverse experiences in art, culture, music, nature, wellness, equestrian activities, dining, and astronomy. The AlUla Wellness Festival featuring the latest practices to engage the mind, body and soul; Winter at Tantora, the original AlUla celebration of heritage, culture, fashion and music; the Ancient Kingdoms Festival offers immersive events acknowledging the ancient civilisations that lived in AlUla and its neighboring oases in Khaybar and Tayma; AlUla Skies Festival with the popular hot air balloons and stargazing experiences; and AlUla Arts Festival bringing together contemporary and ancient art events and experiences.

In addition to the festivals AlUla Moments calendar offers a number of marquee events, including AZIMUTH and Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo, along with the heritage sports events such as The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup, AlUla Camel Cup, AlUla Falcon Cup, the Tent Pegging World Championship and Horseback Archery World Cup, a world-class fashion, adventure and sporting events.

For more information, please visit experiencealula.com  

About AlUla:

Located 1,100 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned.

The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of 111 well-preserved tombs, many with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement.

Current research also suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Roman Empire after the Roman’s conquered the Nabataeans in 106 CE.

In addition to Hegra, AlUla is also home to ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms and considered to be one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula, and Jabal Ikmah, an open air library of hundreds of inscriptions and writings in many different languages, which has been recently listed on the UNESCO’s memory of the World Register. Also AlUla Old Town Village, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes developed from at least the 12th century, which has been selected as one of the World’s Best Tourism Villages in 2022 by the UNWTO. Additionally, Hijaz Railway and Hegra Fort, which are key sites in the story and conquests of Lawrence of Arabia.

For more information, please visit: experiencealula.com