RIYADH: Golf Saudi has partnered with the Ministry of Education to host a series of golf activities as part of the of the 91st Saudi National Day celebrations.
In conjunction with the Saudi School Sports Federation, several thousand people took part in the activities, including MoE staff, teachers and students who were invited to learn more about the game and pick up a golf club for the first time.
Held over three days, Golf Saudi’s team, led by Bouchaib El-Jadiani, was responsible for organizing a series of events which included an introduction to the sport and a six-hole mini golf game.
The Minister of Education Hamad bin Mohammed Al Al-Sheikh was also in attendance to recognize returning Olympic hero Tarek Hamdi, who won a silver medal in karate at Tokyo 2020.
Golf Saudi was also presented with its own award for the organizations’ wider efforts to help grow the game throughout Saudi Arabia and support its development in schools and universities.
“It was a great pleasure to receive an award of this stature from His Excellency Hamad bin Mohammed Al A-Sheik,” said Majed Al-Sorour, CEO of Golf Saudi. “We would like to thank everyone at Golf Saudi and the Ministry of Education for their efforts in driving the growth of golf here in Saudi Arabia.
“Our goal is to bring the game to as many Saudis as possible, so they are able to experience and enjoy first-hand the benefits and value of the sport,” he added. “Our ongoing work with the Ministry of Education is vital if we are to successfully grow the game with the next generation of Saudi nationals. Not only does golf offer valuable skills and character development to youngsters but it can also provide future careers and job opportunities.”
Golf Saudi, a subsidiary of the Saudi Golf Federation, has embarked on a mass participation and education program to meet its targets of creating 2,200 jobs and develop more than 20,000 new golfers by 2025.
Both the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi have been working closely with the MoE on a specific development program at primary, secondary and higher education levels. This has since been delivered through a series of tiered, progressive educational initiatives with the assistance of coaches who are able to provide the training, equipment, and framework to conduct the foundation levels of golf introduction.
As part of Vision 2030, the MoE endeavors to provide students at schools, and particularly in higher education, with a modern curriculum with a key focus on character development, as well as literacy, numeracy, and other skills. Activations such as this week’s from Golf Saudi will look to integrate with existing MoE and SSSF initiatives, ensuring all parties strive to place golf within the sports and educational curriculum.
