Unleashing the power of sport: Saudi Vision 2030 and the transformation of the Kingdom’s sporting landscape 
It is well known that sports have been an important aspect of the Saudi Vision 2030 since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s announcement of the plan in April 2016. Understandably, a handful of sports-focused international news outlets at the time believed that although the plans to use sports as part of the developmental strategies for Vision 2030 were audacious, they were also far-fetched and impractical.
Seven years on, the Kingdom’s strategic investment into sports and its unwavering support for them has led to major events and achievements such as the Dakar Rally; a partnership with the LIV Golf League; the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix; the development of women’s sports; qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the Saudi national team’s historic victory over the eventual winners Argentina; and elite footballers joining the Saudi Pro League, among other things. All of these illustrate that the sporting aspect of Vision 2030 is undisputedly underway — and it is like nothing we have seen before in the world.
The recent announcement by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation general secretary, Ibrahim Al-Kassim, about the Kingdom’s desire to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup went a step further. It is the ultimate sign of its commitment to using sports as a developmental strategy for the vision and beyond.
This progression serves two functions. First, sports are becoming beneficial to the internal affairs of the Kingdom in that they stimulate economic activities such as job creation in media and broadcasting, construction and maintenance, marketing, hospitality and tourism, event organization and management, and logistics. All of these are evident in the events that have been held and/or are ongoing in the Kingdom. They are also inevitable in future events because, for instance, in the case of the FIFA World Cup —hosting the event involves huge preparation, which will create more job opportunities such as building stadiums and maintaining them.
The World Cup would further promote tourism because evidence from recent hosts shows a massive surge in this before and after the event. The event would also stimulate the development of legacy projects that would further contribute to cultural and entertainment activities for the Saudi people. In addition, one of the objectives of the vision is to improve physical and social well-being and healthy lifestyles. We are already witnessing more and more Saudis participating in sports and adopting active lifestyles. Recent reports have shown that there has also been an increase in the number of Saudis joining health and fitness clubs.
It is fair to say sports have thrust Saudi Arabia onto the global stage. Visitors have the opportunity to experience the wonderful Saudi people, beautiful buildings, as well as the cultural heritage of the Kingdom like never before.
Highlighting these achievements may seem like one is glamorizing the sporting achievements of the Kingdom without acknowledging that they come with their challenges. However, their overall success means we can confidently say that all stakeholders should keep the torch burning for the absolute transformation of the Saudi sporting landscape.
- Dr. Musaab Faleh Al-Harbi is the media center director at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah.
