An event was held at the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Olympic Complex in Riyadh on December 31.

SAOC decided not to celebrate Olympic Day on the traditional date of June 23 due to the high heat during that month.

It instead opted for a period when schoolchildren had finished their exams and the temperature was ideal for outdoor activities.

The event saw the participation of around 500 children, plus their families, from different community backgrounds, and SAOC employees.

The half football venue designed for the Olympic Day celebration included an Olympic booth, where information on the Olympic Movement and values were provided, as well as a nutrition booth that provided healthy food and drinks and information on healthy diets and lifestyles.

Participants could try their hand at athletics, badminton, fencing, gymnastics, taekwondo and tennis, and a two kilometre fun race was held for boys and girls.

During the event, children were given an Olympic passport that they used to collect stamps at each station and detail their activity.

From now on, SAOC says it intends to organise an Olympic Day event every year to involve more sports and participants.

SAOC President Prince Sultan Bin Fahd Bin Abdulaziz, who took part in the 2km fun race, declared his satisfaction at the end of the event.

"I saw children happy to learn about different sports and the Olympic Movement," he said.

"We now have to make sure we continue to work closely with the Federations and make sure more of them are involved next time, so we can educate and encourage more children to learn about sport and the Olympic values."

Saudi Arabian athletes also participated in the event, led by Hadi Soua'an Al-Somaily, who won his country's first-ever Olympic silver medal when he finished second in the men's 400 metres hurdles at Sydney 2000.

Al-Somaily came as a role model, giving an inspirational speech to children on his career and how important it is to do sport for personal development and national pride.