JEDDAH: The National Sports Talent Company, also known as Shukur, announced on Monday that it acquired Jeddah United, a sports academy, in partnership with the University of Business and Technology.
The partnership aims to develop the sports economy in Saudi Arabia in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and Saudi Quality of Life Program.
Lina Al-Maeena, chairperson of Shukur and owner of JU, said: “Shukur includes a number of investors, led by UBT Co., and by this, our vision is completed by partnering with the sports and educational sector with an integrated vision that supports the sports economy in the Kingdom.”
She said that the company aspires to keep pace with the international sports sector through the exchange of experiences.
Al-Maeena told Arab News: “We have looked at sports as holistic … it is not just the actual physical aspect, but it is also educational, mental and emotional.
“All these aspects combined together create champions. We would like the world to cheer for Saudi local teams and I think it is doable, especially with the Vision and the Ministry of Sports objectives.”
She added: “We are here today reaping the fruits of Vision 2030 that truly empowered women with strong legislation in all fields, including the promising sports sector, especially after the fundamental changes made by the Ministry of Sports, specifically the launch of the Nafes platform, which aims to enhance the level of sports, the quality of competition and the development of athletes’ performance.”
Mohanad Dahlan, managing director and CEO of UBT Co., said that UBT and JU believe that a return on investment in people is the goal of the deal. “Through this partnership, we established the first local company with a global vision and our goal is to make Jeddah United like any international sports club.”
Dahlan told Arab News that UBT has outsourced its sports operations to build a professional entity that will enable students and fellows to be part of sports in different aspects.
“We and Shukur are working with the majority of citizens and we are responsible toward the community to enable those citizens to become better people by working on the brain and the physique at the same time, so this is where the university and the training come side by side,” he said.
A women’s basketball tournament will start next Friday, involving seven government clubs as part of the first-ever Saudi Games, which was launched two weeks ago in Jeddah.
Al-Maeena said that UBT is the official sponsor of women taking part in the Saudi Games.
“We did not dream one day that women’s sport would turn into what it reached so quickly and smoothly,” she added.
Al-Maeena said: “This achievement by itself highlights the fact that we are a true example of privatization. At the same time, we have been in the field for 20 years, transforming, trying to upgrade, and now we have six of our girls in the national team. So hopefully, we will just continue.”
Jeddah United has seven locations to train Saudi youth. By next year, it plans to have 50 more locations across the Kingdom’s 13 regions.
