JEDDAH, 16 December 2005 — Faris Al-Khilaifi, the youngest Saudi inventor, Farid Mokhlis, who holds the Guinness World Record for continuously hosting a radio sports program, and Ahmad M. Al-Shugairi, a TV talent and presenter of “Yallah Shabab,” will represent Saudi Arabia and the region as Samsung’s torchbearers among thousands of others from the world over for Turin 2006 Winter Games.
“I’m delighted to be the youngest from the Kingdom to join thousands of Turin 2006 torchbearers,” Al-Khilaifi told a press conference hosted by Samsung on Wednesday.
Al-Khilaifi is a member of the United Association of Inventors in Geneva as well as the winner of many national and international awards for his inventions.
Only 12 years old, Al-Khilaifi’s record of inventions includes an educational watch and a phone set for the disabled as well as publishing a magazine for kids and two educational books. Mokhlis is one of the most dynamic and devoted sports journalists in the Kingdom, while Al-Shugairi is the creator, manager and presenter of the MBC youthful program “Yallah Shabab.
“There were more than 1,000 contenders for the honor and we selected the best three celebrities going by their track record in the segments they represent,” Marketing Manager Abdul Rahman Al-Amoudi said on behalf of Samsung.
Extending the spirit of sportsmanship and common values, the three torchbearers will represent the Kingdom and the Middle East at the Relay, joining thousands in Palermo on Dec. 23 to complete the 64-day journey through Italy. The Relay began Dec. 8 and ends on February 10 at the Opening Ceremony of the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games. Some 10,001 torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame through all regions and provinces of Italy, covering about 11,300 km.
The Olympic Torch Relay presents a unique opportunity for fans to witness the most prestigious sporting symbol, the Olympic Flame. For Turin 2006, Samsung is providing more than 1,900 people from around the world once-in-a lifetime experience to run with the Olympic Flame.
The company selected world-class athletes, celebrities and inspiring individuals who embody the Olympic spirit from thousands of sport fans who applied to various selection promotions from all over the world.
For the first time, Samsung is also providing Torch Relay organizers with thousands of official Olympic Games phones, which features the state-of-the-art mobile information service, wireless Olympic works (WOW), which supplies up-to-the-minute information and group messaging capabilities to help manage the Relay. Information about the route and torchbearers highlight videos and photos of the Turin 2006 Olympic Torch Relay that will be offered through WOW service.
For Turin 2006, the official Olympic games phone is the SGH-D600, Samsung’s latest flagship handset. The SGH-D600 is an upgraded version of the hugely popular D500 series, the winner of several prestigious awards including the best mobile handset 2005 for excellence in handset design and innovation by the GSMA, the global trade association for the world’s Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) operator community.
