RIYADH, April, 8 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Entitled “Islam is peace”, the first pan-Islamic Games was to kick off later Friday, April 8, in Saudi Arabia with the participation of some 6,500 athletes from all over the Islamic world.

The Islamic Solidarity Games, to start at 6 p.m. Saudi local time at the 38,000 capacity King Abdul Aziz Stadium, are aimed at projecting a more positive image of Islam to the world and highlighting the merciful Islamic tenets.

“We hope the games will show the truth of Islam, which is that it is a religion of peace,” Games director Saleh bin Nasser has told Reuters by telephone from the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

Preparations were already completed in some 56 sporting facilities in four Saudi cities; Makkah, Taif, Madinah and Jeddah, to host the Islamic competitions, with the athletes being housed in 18 hotels for their duration, according to the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper Friday, April 8.

“Makkah and Madinah were chosen from the start because of their significance to Islam,” Nasser said.

“We then had to expand to Jeddah and Taif because we needed more room. No new facilities were built for the games, with the athletes being housed in 18 hotels for their duration.”

A file photo of the Islamic Solidarity Games higher committee meetings in Jeddah.

Entrance will be free for the spectators to attend the Islamic contests, despite low expectations on heavy popular attendance in the competitions due to the Saudi strict visa requirements, Reuters said.

“But there are still many nationalities living inside Saudi Arabia who will be there to support athletes from their home countries,” Nasser said.

Saudi Sports Unions have sought some 48 million rials ($13 million) to provide necessary equipments for the event, to make it on the level of world events.

The Islamic competitions include athletics, swimming, diving, water ball, swordplay, tennis, table tennis, weightlifting, indoor football for the mentally-handicapped, basketball, volleyball, handball, taekwondo, karate, and horsemanship.

The decision to hold the Games in Saudi Arabia in 2005 was taken by the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) during its meeting in Bamako, Mali, in June 2001, under the title “Islamic Solidarity Games”.

Some 53 Muslim countries have already agreed to participate in the games with only Albania, Togo and Uzbekistan to be absent from the event.