Several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), celebrated the 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) on Saturday. This year’s global theme, ‘Yoga for One Earth, One Health’, focused on promoting yoga as a path to physical and mental well-being.
In Riyadh, the Indian Embassy organised the celebrations in collaboration with the Saudi Yoga Committee and the Indian diaspora.
The event drew notable guests including Padma Shri Nouf Marwai, President of the Asian Yogasana Sports Federation, Shahad Al Mufti, Director at the Saudi Ministry of Sport, and Ahmed Alsady, CEO of the Saudi Yoga Committee. Members of the diplomatic community also joined.
Local instructors Nervin Asharam and Seema Ghanam led the participants through the Common Yoga Protocol during the session.
Over 1,500 participants gathered at Salmiya Boulevard Cricket Ground in Kuwait to mark the occasion.
The Indian Embassy, in partnership with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), the Ministry of Ayush, and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), organised the event. Diplomats, students, Indian community members, and yoga practitioners joined in the early morning celebration.
Indian Ambassador Adarsh Swaika addressed the crowd, stressing the importance of integrating yoga into daily routines for improved well-being.
Padma Shri awardees Acharya HR Nagendra and Sheikha Shaikha AJ Sabah of the Kuwaiti royal family, both strong advocates of yoga, also participated in the session.
In the UAE, the Indian Embassy and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council jointly hosted the International Day of Yoga celebration at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre (ADNEC). UAE’s Minister of Tolerance and Co-Existence, Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, attended as the chief guest.
Tennis icon Sania Mirza and Indian Ambassador Sunjay Sudhir also took part in the event alongside yoga enthusiasts. The session demonstrated the growing popularity of yoga as a unifying practice across cultures in the Gulf region.
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