The opening ceremony of the 18th Maccabiah will take place on July 13, 2009. President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu will open the ceremony. The Maccabiah has organized various sporting events in more than 30 locations all around the country, from Maalot and Tiberias in the north, to Kibbutz Urim in the south, which will span over 10 days, making this the biggest Maccabiah in history. 5300 Jewish athletes from around the world plus 2000 Israelis are expected to take place in the games, which makes the Maccabiah the 3rd largest sporting event in the world, after the Olympics and the University games.