Saudi Games: The start of a new era for athletes in the Kingdom

RIYADH: Saudi sports authorities have revealed plans to build six new facilities across the Kingdom in a push to get more people healthy and physically active.

Saudi Sports for All Federation Managing Director Shaima Al-Husseini announced the plans during a discussion at the Misk Global Forum in Riyadh.

Al-Husseini said the new facilities would encourage a healthier society. She said the centers would have 30 to 40 courts offering more than 10 sporting activities, and added that she hoped they would attract more than 250,000 users in the first year. 

“The SFA has not only launched sports activities and events but has also encouraged various sectors of society to organize sports programs that encourage physical activity and promote a healthy lifestyle,” she said. 

“The Federation has come a long way since its establishment in 2018 in forming partnerships to support its objectives. Our plans for the coming five years are to continue bringing initiatives that help us build a healthy society and encourage community participation in sports and physical activity.

She added that the success of the Riyadh marathon in March was “a good example of how our initiatives encourage mass participation in physical activity.

“The event attracted thousands from more than 100 nationalities, helping transform the Kingdom into a global sports destination.”

Al-Husseini said that an opinion poll conducted by the federation showed that 41 percent of respondents complained about a lack of local sports facilities, which creates a challenge to get physical activity. The poll said that many women in particular had difficulty accessing indoor sports centers. 

She also noted that the federation provides programs for young people inside and outside school to practice sports, helping to  build the foundations of physical activity habits.

She said that supporting the participation of women who represent half of Saudi society in sports programs.

Misk Global Forum 2022, organized by the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation (Misk), has attracted many speakers, leaders, and thinkers focusing on the central theme: “Generation of Change.” This year’s forum coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Misk establishment. The forum seeks to raise awareness of values and goals shared by different generations.

Misk Global Forum was organized by the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation and is being held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh.