The Solidarity Games were established to strengthen Islamic camaraderie and reinforce the values of Islam, primarily to the youth.[2] The ISSF strives to improve Islamic solidarity, promote Islamic identity in sports and help reduce discrimination toward Muslims.[2]
There are currently 57 members of the OIC.[3] Non-Muslim citizens from member countries are also allowed to take part in the Games. It was said[by whom?] to have the largest amount of competitors for a sporting event aside from the Olympic Games.[2] With the level of political fragmentation, the deficiencies in economic development in many Muslim countries, and the financial cost of the Islamic Solidarity games, the longevity of the games is an on-going challenge.[2]
History
The original idea for the Solidarity Games came from Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz, during the Third Islamic Summit in 1981.[2] The first Solidarity Games were held in 2005 in Saudi Arabia. In 2005, the games were male-only with 7,000 athletes from fifty-four countries competing in thirteen different sports.[4] Women are now[when?] allowed to participate in the games, but compete on different days than men.[5]
The second Games were originally scheduled to take place in October 2009 in Iran, later rescheduled for April 2010, and ultimately canceled after a dispute arose between Iran and the Arab World over the use of the term "Persian Gulf" in logos for the Games, as some countries in the Arab world use the term "Arabian Gulf" instead. Dispute over the name has been a recurring source of disharmony between Arab states and Iran.[6]
The fourth edition took place in Baku on 12–22 May 2017.[7][8]
^Originally scheduled for 2009, and later re-scheduled for 2010, was cancelled after a dispute arose between Iran and the Arab countries.
^Originally scheduled for 2021, the Games were postponed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the event was still referred to as the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games to preserve the 4-year cycle.
^In April 2021, it was announced that the 2025 games would take place in Cameroon. However, in May 2024, the ISSF announced that Riyadh would be the hosts of this edition.