The country has become a major force in competitive riding, particularly show jumping, thanks to riders like Abdullah Al-Sharbatly, who have won several Olympic medals since the beginning of the 21st century.

What appear to be bridle marks discovered in 2011 on a depiction of an equine saw the birth of a theory of horse domestication around 7,000 BC near Abha in the province of Asir.

[1] According to Saudi archaeologists, the al-Maqar civilization was highly advanced during the Neolithic period, notably in its craftsmanship and artistic representations, including a metre-high bust of an equine.

[9] In June 2013, the Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh denounced horse statues in the southern province of Jizan as idolatrous.

[10] Like its neighbors in the Middle East (Dubai and Qatar), Saudi Arabia has been the subject of controversy on the international equestrian scene due to doping scandals.