JUST seven years ago, Samer Tawk questioned if he would ever walk again. Now, he is preparing to compete at the Winter Olympics in Cortina. Tawk, 27, thought his career was over when he suffered a

In 2018, Samer Tawk became the first athlete to represent Lebanon in cross-country skiing at the Winter Olympics. A year later, he was lying in a hospital bed wondering if he would ever walk again.

The 2026 Winter Olympics will see athletes competing from five MENA countries: Morocco, Lebanon, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and debutants the UAE.

From deserts to snow-covered peaks, the Middle East and North Africa are making some serious noise at the Winter Olympics. Milano Cortina 2026 (February 6–22) isn’t just about medals, it’s about trailblazers rewriting what winter sport looks like.