Event brings industry insiders, thought leaders and experts together to transform the region into a world-class sports hub
Shaima Al-Husseini, the Managing Director of the Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA), has underlined the importance of community sports to transforming the Kingdom’s future and realizing Vision 2030 objectives at the Sport Industry Forum Abu Dhabi 2022.
The event was organized by the Department of Community Development and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. It was held from 15 to 16 November 2022, bringing more than 150 senior officials of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) sports industry together to discuss ongoing challenges and future opportunities.
The gathering provided SFA with a unique and timely platform to highlight the Kingdom’s strides to grow and develop its burgeoning sports sector. Throughout the event, the Federation called attention to its work to enhance the practice of sports activities in the Kingdom and improve the quality of life of all Saudis and residents.
Shaima Al-Husseini, Managing Director, Saudi Sports for All Federation, said: “We are proud to have participated in the Abu Dhabi Sports Forum 2022. We look forward to benefiting from the experiences of others, exchanging best practices and insights that contribute to the development of a healthy society. We believe the event and the partnerships we forged will help make a positive and lasting impact at the local community level.”
She added: “Over the years, we have crossed several milestones on the road to achieving our goals. We have worked to transform the lives of Saudis and residents across the country by empowering them to lead healthy, active lives. We have done this through the launch of awareness programs and the establishment of state-of-the-art sports facilities. This year alone, we have successfully implemented 24 sports programs, attracting more than 61,000 participants. Notably, we organized events such as the Riyadh Marathon, which is one of the most important regional engagements of its kind: a sporting spectacle that attracted over 10,000 participants from more than 100 countries.”
In addition to outlining SFA’s wide-ranging initiatives, the SFA Managing Director emphasized the Federation’s role in implementing cooperation and partnership agreements with various specialized sporting events at the local and international levels. For example: the existing cooperation with the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) to deliver the Tennis for All program through various SFA clubs in Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province.
She also touched on the role of the Federation in attracting international sporting events to the Kingdom, such as Tough Mudder, which is considered the most famous obstacle course in the world.
