Rowing will feature for the first time at the 2026 Arab Women Sports Tournament. And the rowing discipline chosen to join the AWST is beach sprint; a sure sign of its growing global influence.
A total of six out of the 16 participating Arab nations are scheduled to compete in beach sprint: Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and host UAE. Of the 16 female athletes, only Egypt’s Salma Badour competed at last year’s World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals (in the mixed quad). But Tunisia holds one of the best records at worlds, including winning the U19 women’s solo three years straight from 2021 to 2023.
The AWST was launched in 2012 and takes place every two years. It is run by Sharjah Women’s Sports, a foundation based in the Emirate of Sharjah, part of the United Arab Emirates. The eighth edition of the tournament opened yesterday, and the rowing competition will take place 9–10 February at the Hamriyah Beach Park in Sharjah.
For more information see the 2026 Arab Women Sports Tournament event page.