More than 500 join International Day of Yoga event in Riyadh
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More than 500 people gathered in Riyadh to mark the 12th International Day of Yoga, with this year's celebrations focusing on the role of yoga in promoting healthy ageing and long-term wellbeing.
The event was organised by the Embassy of India in Riyadh in partnership with the Saudi Yoga Committee and local partners at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex.
Participants included yoga practitioners, wellness enthusiasts and members of the diplomatic community representing several missions based in Saudi Arabia.
Addressing the gathering, Indian Ambassador Dr Suhel Ajaz Khan thanked Saudi authorities, community organisations and yoga practitioners for their support in promoting the discipline across the Kingdom.
He highlighted yoga's contribution to physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, noting its benefits for mobility, cognitive health, stress management and overall quality of life.
Dr Khan also praised cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia in promoting yoga, describing it as a reflection of growing cultural ties between the two countries.
Ahmed Al Saadi, Chief Executive of the Saudi Yoga Committee, said yoga continues to attract increasing numbers of practitioners across the Kingdom and has become a platform that brings people together through a shared interest in health and wellbeing.
The event was attended by Hani Mansi, Director General at the Ministry of Sports, and Nafe Alshaibani, Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The program featured a live Common Yoga Protocol session led by embassy yoga instructor Prem Prabhu, supported by Saudi Yoga Committee instructors Sima Ghanam and Malak Almughira.
Participants performed a series of yoga postures and breathing exercises as part of the session.
The Riyadh event concluded a month-long series of activities organised under the "Yoga 365" initiative.
The campaign began with a curtain-raiser event at the Indian Embassy in May, followed by a regional yoga gathering in Al Jubail on June 13 organised in partnership with Expertise Ltd.
The embassy also conducted weekly yoga sessions and an online yoga photo competition that attracted more than 250 participants from across Saudi Arabia.
