The Kingdom is an active member of the Olympic movement. The Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee was established in 1964. There are nineteen sports federations affiliated to the Saudi Olympic Committee. The activities of the Olympic Committee cover ancient Arabian sports like hunting, horse-racing, shooting, swimming and international sports like volley-ball, tennis, table-tennis, cycling, running and athletics. In 1984, Saudi Arabia competed in the Olympic Games for the first time, in football and rifle-shooting.

Saudi athletes have enjoyed considerable success internationally, winning competitions at youth and adult level. The Kingdom currently caters for more than twenty different sporting activities.