The Sharjah Women Sport Foundation is preparing for the 8th Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST), which is scheduled to be held from February 2 to 10, 2026. The event is being held under the funding of H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah and Sharjah Family and Community Council Chairperson.
The event features top female athletes and clubs all from the Arab world and highlights Sharjah’s commitment towards women’s participation on the regional and global stage of sports.
The AWST Supreme Organising Committee and executive committees this time have decided to include taekwondo (a G1 classification accredited by World Taekwondo) and beach rowing this time. Besides this, the tournament highlights sports like volleyball, fencing, athletics, shooting, archery, table tennis, and basketball.
Introduced in 2012, AWST has been held every two years, providing a platform for female athletes living in the Arab world to compete, empower themselves, and gain exposure.
AWST, a tournament aimed towards women empowerment
AWST Higher Organising Committee Chairman Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi believes the event has been one of the leading examples for empowering Arab women towards sports while paving the way to international recognition and fair competition among all.
He said, “AWST has set a leading model for empowering Arab women in sport, advancing their role within the sporting community, and providing a platform that celebrates achievement while supporting athletes’ progression towards professionalism and fair competition. The tournament has also expanded the visibility of Arab women on the sporting stage and developed their competitive capabilities.”
AWST Supreme Organising Committee inspection tours
Along with preparations, an inspection tour was conducted by the AWST Supreme Organising Committee, which was led by Union of Arab National Olympic Committees (UANOC) Chairperson Sheikha Hayat Al Khalifa and Secretary General Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al Anzi.
Also, part of the tour was AWST Supreme Organising Committee Vice Chairman Hanan Al Mahmoud, UANOC Assistant Secretary-General Areej Al Qahtani, UANOC sports expert Mustafa Idris, as well as AWST Director Moza Al Shamsi.
The tour was hosted across venues like Sharjah Women’s Olympic Centre, Sharjah Women’s Sports Club, Al Qarayen Children’s Centre, Al Bataeh, Al Dhaid, Police Officers, Al Hamriyah cultural and sports clubs, Khorfakkan Club for the Disabled, and Al Thiqa Club for the Disabled.
The delegates present in the tour overlooked the event venues, facilities, and support services, along with a meeting scheduled with the club board representatives confirming their support in the tournament.
