FOR THE RECORD: President, World Aquatics: (2021-Present); IOC-Olympic Solidarity Commission Member: (2004-2034); World Aquatics First Vice-President: (2015-2021); World Aquatics Vice President: (2009-2015); Director General, Olympic Council of Asia: (2005-Present); Fina Bureau Member: (1996-2009); Deputy Director General and Technical Director, Olympic Council of Asia (1998-2003); Olympic Council of Asia Member: (1982-1998); Secretary General, Kuwait Olympic Committee: (2023-2027).
Swimming has always been a part of his life. He learned to swim at the age of five, began competing as a member of the Kazma Sports Club at 8, and by 13 years old, Husain Al Musallam was winning age group and school championships, eventually representing the State of Kuwait at Pan-Arab, Asian, and World Championships, in the mid 1970s.
His competitive swimming career ended at 18, when he enrolled at the Oxford Aviation training school. After graduating and receiving his commercial pilot’s license, Al Musallam joined Kuwait Airways but quickly realized how much he missed being involved in sport.
Despite being active with his career and supporting his family, Al Musallam resolved to use his experience to help other athletes by taking roles in sports administration, initially at the club level, then with the National Federation and the National Olympic Committee, and in 1982, he joined the Olympic Council of Asia.
In 1996, Al Musallam joined the FINA Bureau at the age of 36. In 2009, he became FINA Vice President, representing Asia and in 2015, he was elected to First Vice President, becoming a member of its Executive Committee. When he was elected President, in June of 2021, he became the first individual from Asia to lead the organization since its founding in 1908.
In December 2022, Al Musallam led the FINA Extraordinary Congress into a new future, as FINA officially became inclusive and voted to change its name to World Aquatics. Six months later, Al Musallam was re-elected as President of World Aquatics in July 2023 for an eight-year term.
His presidency has introduced significant and historic reforms within the organization, such as the creation of an aquatic’s integrity unit; a revised and modernized constitution; substantial modifications to regulations concerning athletes’ nationality changes; the formation of an athletes’ committee, which is elected by the athletes themselves; and the increase of representation of women on the World Aquatics Bureau to at least 40%.
These reforms have enhanced transparency and athlete representation, improved the sport’s growth and gender balance, and reduced expenditures, while still enhancing prize money.
In May 2024, Al Musallam opened the first pool in the Kingdom of Bhutan as part of World Aquatic’s plan to place pools in every corner of the world.
Al Musallam has participated as an official in 15 editions of the Olympic Games, both Summer and Winter, beginning in 1980 through Paris 2024. He has been directly involved with the organization of 12 editions of the FINA, now World Aquatics World Championships beginning in 1997 through the present one, here in Singapore in 2025.
President Al Musallam’s vision for the future of aquatic sports around the world is for the world to be united by water for health, life, and sport, so that the world can live a better life, free from modern-day diseases that have spread at a frightening rate and threaten our future generations. Therefore, he says, we strive to preserve our wealth of youth, children, and young people through water.
Husain Al Musallam is not only the very first President of World Aquatics from Asia, but our very first ISHOF Honoree from the Country of Kuwait.