Africa and Asia look at each other once again from a space that transcends borders, languages, and political circumstances. In a world marked by tension and fragmentation, both continents turn to culture and sport as universal languages to reconnect with a shared history woven over millennia. Culture as a universal language is expressed through a symbolic gesture that will have Kuwait as its meeting point, where memory, identity, and cooperation come together.
On March 28, 2026, the 99 National Olympic Committees of Africa and Asia will gather in the city of Kuwait to bring the Afro-Asian Cultural Event to life, under the motto “From Silk to the Sahara”. Jointly driven by ANOCA and OCA, the meeting seeks to revive a historic collaboration between the two youngest and most dynamic continents on the planet, placing culture at the center as the foundation of a partnership designed to endure over time.
An Afro-Asian renaissance through culture
The official announcement of this initiative took place on January 5, 2026, during a joint strategic videoconference meeting between ANOCA and OCA. There, the pillars of a project were outlined that aims to be far more than a one-off event: A new chapter of Afro-Asian cooperation, with culture as the first step in an annual collaboration that will alternate between sporting, educational, and artistic dimensions.
For the President of ANOCA, Mustapha Berraf, this moment represents a turning point in contemporary Olympic history. Africa and Asia, united by young populations and transformative energy, assume a shared responsibility toward the world. Along the same lines, the Director General of OCA, Hussein Al-Musallam, recalled that since 1982 both continents have shared a relationship based on fraternity and friendship, and that beginning this new cycle through culture responds to a global need for peace, understanding, and mutual respect.
Symbols, equality, and a global message
The identity of the event is built on symbols deeply rooted in both civilizations. The logo, which merges the African lion and the Asian dragon, represents shared nobility, wisdom, and strength, while the motto “From Silk to the Sahara” evokes the ancient trade routes that for centuries connected Asia and Africa. Symbols that unite civilizations reflect a shared history in which cultural exchange was as important as commercial exchange.
The cultural program on March 28 will feature seven artistic performances representing different African and Asian regions, culminating in a collective presentation by artists from the Gulf Cooperation Council alongside all participating groups. In addition, Gender equality at the heart of the event is reflected in the invitation not only to the presidents and secretaries general of the NOCs, but also to the presidents of the Women and Gender Commissions, in a gesture aligned with Olympic values and marking the month of International Women’s Day. The global live and high-definition broadcast of the event will amplify this message of unity, projecting to the world a vision of Olympism where culture, sport, youth, and mutual respect advance inseparably.
