Helping Saudi Arabia in achieving its Vision 2030 is an organization that is responsible for developing community sports works that are geared towards a #HealthyActiveCommunity – this is the Saudi Sports for All Federation.
Photo Credit: Saudi Sports for All Federation
In 2018, the Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) was created to serve as a driving force for community sports in the country. Its mission is to “build a healthy and vibrant community by inspiring all members of society to be physically active. They deliver this by creating inclusive recreational and sustainable programs.”
True to their mission, they are working on a national sports strategy which is participant-focused and encompasses every stage of life: from youth (under 18) and young adults (18-25) where they focus on promoting physical activities inside and outside their schools and universities, to adults (26-50) where they encourage physical activity at work and support community and home programs, and the older adults (50+) where they promote the health benefits of physical activity and provide suitable programs for them.
One of the strategies of SFA in achieving their goals is the Community Sports Groups (CSG) which are groups with 5 or more members that engage in physical activity on a regular basis. SFA encourages groups to register so they could be supported by the federation through securing access to a wide range of facilities, providing guidance and best practices on how to organize events, helping in recruiting volunteers, and launching campaigns to promote CSGs and their activities. In Saudi Arabia, the top sports for CSGs are walking, running, hiking, cycling, and football.
With their commitment to promote a healthy and active lifestyle for people regardless of their age and fitness levels, the SFA launched the Saudi Sports for All app where members could participate in community, group, and individual sports, as well as monitor and manage their personal health.
Since their inception five years ago, SFA has already led many activities and events, and partnered with different organizations to drive community sports in the Kingdom. This 2022, some of the remarkable events were the SFA Sandclash 2022 Fitness Competition on February 4th and 5th which was designed to challenge athletes and was packed with competition, entertainment, classes, seminars, and vendors around the world. Also in February, the Lifestyle Enhancement Conference was held which host local and international experts that provide evidence-based solutions to guide the participants to the ideal lifestyle. In March, the second edition of the Riyadh Marathon was held which attracted over 10,000 participants from across KSA regions and the globe, and also the second of the Ecotrail was back which was the first time ever that an ultramarathon trail passed through AlUla — Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In July, the General Authority for Statistics Findings showed that “48.2% of Saudi nationals and residents now practice sports on a weekly basis” which is a testament to the positive impact of the extensive range of fitness-focused facilities, events, and initiatives that were launched by the SFA, together with the Ministry of Sports, Quality of Life, and the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee.
With all the accomplishments that they had since they started last 2018, the SFA’s target of raising physical activity levels in the country to 40% by 2030 is well on its way.
Saudi Sports for All Federation
Website: www.sportsforall.com.sa
Social Media:
Instagram/Twitter: @Saudi_SFA
Facebook/YouTube: @SaudiSFA
LinkedIn: Saudi Sports for All Federation
