Ministry of Sport (Saudi Arabia)

Ministry of Sport
وزارة الرياضة

Abdulaziz Al-Faisal, the current Minister of Sport since 25 February 2020
Agency overview
Formed25 February 2020 (2020-02-25)
Preceding agencies
  • General Presidency of Youth Welfare (1974–2016)
  • General Sports Authority (2016–2020)
JurisdictionGovernment of Saudi Arabia
HeadquartersRiyadh
Minister responsible
Child agencies
Websitemos.gov.sa

The Ministry of Sport (Arabic: وزارة الرياضة) is a government ministry responsible for overseeing sport in Saudi Arabia.[1]

History

The General Presidency of Youth Welfare (GPYW) was established in 1974 by royal decree by the late King Faisal.[2] In July 1987, the GPYW launched the Leadership Institute campus, the main Saudi entity accredited with training the youth to become expert trainers in sport.[3]

The GPYW became known as the General Sports Authority in May 2016, following a royal decree restructuring the entity and placing Prince Abdullah bin Musaad Al Saud as its chairman.[4]

Mohammed Al-Sheikh was appointed to the position of chairman of GSA in April 2017, replacing Prince Abdullah bin Musaad Al Saud.[5] On September 6, Mohammed Al-Sheikh was replaced by Turki bin Abdel Muhsin Al-Asheikh at this position.[6]

Community sports

The Ministry of Sport’ remit of improving and developing the sports environment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia includes a focus on encouraging sports and physical activity at the grassroots level. Towards that end, the Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) was created in 2018 as a dedicated body to drive community sports. In 2019, it was given the official mandate to lead community sports initiatives supporting the Saudi Vision 2030’s goals.[7] The Quality of Life program calls for increasing the number of people undertaking regular physical activity in the Kingdom to 40% by 2030.[8] Under the Ministry of Sport umbrella, the SFA is helping the Kingdom meet this target by creating sporting opportunities, encouraging lifestyle changes, and initiating campaigns and challenges encouraging physical activity.[9] The SFA runs year-round initiatives, including community activities, sports challenges, virtual walking and running challenges, tournaments, and activations of public spaces to host sports-related activities.[10]

The SFA App, launched in 2020 for iOS and Android devices, serves as the central hub for these initiatives. The App also hosts the SFA Rewards program, where users are incentivized to stay active by earning points that can be redeemed against gifts or charitable donations.[11]

The SFA collaborates closely with public and private sector entities such as the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee (SAOC),[12] Ministry of Sport,[12] Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs[13] and the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA)[14] to further its goal of a healthier, more active Saudi Arabia.

Football

Further information: Football in Saudi Arabia

In 2014, the Ministry of Sport unveiled a new stadium, King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, which hosted the final of the 2014 King's Cup.[15] After the appointment of Turki Al-Asheikh as chairman in 2017, a committee was formed to find local talent in Saudi Arabian youth, and develop them into professional footballers. 70 young persons were admitted in the first edition of the program.[16] Some tournaments and award systems were also restructured: The Crown Prince Cup was renamed the Super Cup, and the First Class Tournament became the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Tournament. The reward of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup (King's Cup) was raised from SAR 5.5 million to SAR 10 million.[17]

In July 2020, the ministry of sport launched Mahd Sports Academy, a sports academy that aims to scout, help, and train Saudi talent in various sports. The establishment of the academy is in line with Saudi Vision 2030 goals to develop the sports sector in Saudi Arabia.[18]

Women in sports

Further information: Women's sport in Saudi Arabia

On August 1, 2016, Princess Reema bint Bandar became the vice-president of Women’s Affairs at the Ministry of Sport.[19]

In July 2017, the Saudi government announced physical education classes would be made available to girls in public state schools.[20]

Responsibilities

The Ministry of Sport in Saudi Arabia is responsible for the development and regulation of sports in the country. It oversees national sports federations, including the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Saudi Arabian Basketball Federation, Saudi Arabian Handball Federation, Saudi Arabia Volleyball Association, Saudi Esports Federation, and the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee.[21][22]

The ministry owns and manages major sports venues, including King Fahd Sports City Stadium and King Abdullah Sports City Stadium. It also owns most professional football clubs and has plans to gradually transfer them to private owners; several clubs, including Al-Kholood, Al-Zulfi, and Al-Ansar, have already been sold to private owners.[23][24][25]

The ministry organizes and supervises sporting events in the Kingdom and, in some cases, works with the General Entertainment Authority on major events.[26][27][28]

List of sports officials

No. Portrait Official Took office Left office Years in office
Presidents of the General Presidency of Youth Welfare (1974–2016)
1 Faisal bin Fahd 1 July 1975 21 August 1999 24 years, 51 days
2 Sultan bin Fahd 1 September 1999 14 January 2011 11 years, 135 days
3 Nawaf bin Faisal 14 January 2011 26 June 2014 3 years, 163 days
4 Abdullah bin Musaed 26 June 2014 7 May 2016 1 year, 316 days
Presidents of the General Sports Authority (2016–2020)
1 Abdullah bin Musaed 7 May 2016 22 April 2017 350 days
2 Mohammad bin Abdulmalik 22 April 2017 6 September 2017 137 days
3 Turki Al-Sheikh 6 September 2017 27 December 2018 1 year, 112 days
4 Abdulaziz Al-Faisal 27 December 2018 25 February 2020 1 year, 60 days
Ministers of Sport (2020–present)
1 Abdulaziz Al-Faisal 25 February 2020 Incumbent 6 years, 26 days

See also

References

  1. ^ "Saudi Arabia issues several royal decrees, introduces new ministries". Al Arabiya English. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  2. ^ General Sport Authority, Kasc.com
  3. ^ Fawaz Khairy Alhakami, An examination of sport clubs privatisation strategy in Saudi Arabia, Brunel.ac.uk, 2014
  4. ^ General Presidency of Youth Welfare (GPYW), Saudinf.com
  5. ^ Mariam Al Jaber, تعرف على رئيس هيئة الرياضة السعودية الجديدv, Alarabiya.net, 23 April 2017
  6. ^ بأمر الملك سلمان ... تركي آل الشيخ رئيساً لهيئة الرياضة السعودية, Aawsat.com, 6 September 2017
  7. ^ "Programs & Competitions". www.mos.gov.sa. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  8. ^ "Quality of Life". Vision 2030. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  9. ^ "Saudi Sports for All Federation's 'Start Now' campaign looks to boost nation's well-being". Arab News. 2021-03-25. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  10. ^ "Saudi Sports for All Federation launches fitness challenges at the start of Ramadan". Arab News. 2021-04-04. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  11. ^ "Sports for All Federation mobile app adds fitness tracker integration and self-challenges to its features, and expands the SFA Rewards program". eyeofriyadh.com. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  12. ^ a b "Saudi Sports for All Federation campaign looks to boost physical activity". Arab News. 2021-03-07. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  13. ^ "SFA pens pact to make most of parks, public spaces for physical activity". Saudigazette. 2020-08-17. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  14. ^ "SDAIA, SFA join hands to boost tech innovation and wellness activities". Saudigazette. 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  15. ^ استاد الملك عبدالله جوهرة في جيد العروس, Alwatan.com, 18 July 2013
  16. ^ Master plan, Sauditd.com
  17. ^ "Kingdom's sports authority chief announces major revamp on Saudi football". Arab News. 2017-09-20. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  18. ^ Hilton, Tommy (2020-07-28). "Saudi Arabia announces new Mahd Sports Academy with Jose Mourinho, FIFA chief". Al Arabiya English. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  19. ^ "Her Royal Highness Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud | Congress". www.worldcancercongress.org. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  20. ^ Minky Worden, Saudi sports reforms give girls in the kingdom a running start, Nytimes.com, 9 July 2017
  21. ^ "Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee unveils new "Team Saudi" official uniform". Asharq Al‑Awsat. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  22. ^ "Yalla Group partners with Saudi Esports Federation for ecosystem growth". Esports Insider. 2 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  23. ^ "Privatisation of Saudi football clubs gains new momentum, playing key role in 'Vision 2030'". The Arab Weekly. 26 July 2025. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  24. ^ "Saudi Sport Ministry signs deals for new hotels at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah". Arab News. 24 June 2025. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  25. ^ "Riyadh's King Fahd Sports City stadium set for major renovations". Saudi Gazette. 2 December 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  26. ^ "Saudi Arabia's top sports body announces 10‑year deal with WWE". Arab News. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  27. ^ "For the fifth time… the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia!". Tembah. 1 July 2025. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  28. ^ "Saudi Arabia announces dates and venues for AFC Asian Cup 2027". Saudi Gazette. 7 January 2025. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
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