RIYADH: A new digital platform aimed at bringing Saudi communities together through hobby clubs has been launched in the Kingdom.
The Hawi initiative, part of the Saudi Quality of Life program, was unveiled on Wednesday during a ceremony in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District.
Via the platform, a national marketing campaign will be conducted on Oct. 21 promoting the Hawi community under an Arabic hashtag, meaning Find Your People.
From pottery making, fashion, and collecting valuable items, to artisanry, public speaking and reading, the platform will offer hobby clubs that any age group or gender can join or establish to develop their passions and connect with like-minded individuals.
Khalid Albaker, the Quality of Life program’s chief delivery support officer, told Arab News: “Hobbies in the Kingdom were an absent sector in the past. It didn’t have an official space that represented it.
“When we talk about official spaces with participation from government sectors that enables an individual or a group to create their own club or join an existing one, we provide a full space for them.
“This safe space creates societies that are fully supported by government entities,” he said.
Twelve sectors have contributed to establishing the leisure platform, including the ministries of education, environment, water, and agriculture, media, sport, municipal rural affairs and housing, as well as the General Authority of Civil Aviation, the General Commission for Audiovisual Media, the General Entertainment Authority, and the Presidency of State Security.
The program aims to encourage community members to pursue their passions, develop cultural richness and appreciation, and create greater avenues for members of the public to engage and connect under the values of respect, curiosity, liveliness, humility, interest, and innovation.
Meshal Al-Rasheed, the Quality of Life program’s chief strategy officer, told Arab News: “We established this organization so that the work becomes professional, to enable anyone with a hobby to register a club, and review the club and the people involved through government sectors.
“It’s a reliable platform, even in terms of security and community. Anyone can sign up and be comfortable and practice their hobbies.”
The program launched a pilot version of Hawi last year.
Al-Rasheed said: “The pilot launch of Hawi achieved really great numbers. We established 155 hobby clubs and reached 25 cities within the Kingdom, and the numbers keep going up.
“The turnout was great, and the awareness and passion were huge; even though the accompanying media campaign didn’t launch fully until today, the official launch, there were many people interested in connecting and registering on the platform,” he added.
