Growing together through sport

When Saudi athletes compete, when our nation stops and watches our version of the Olympics, the Saudi Games, and when international tourists travel to the Kingdom for international sport events only available in Saudi Arabia, we are not just seeing the impact of our rapidly expanding sport ecosystem, we are seeing the power of sport to shape, transform and reflect who we are as a nation.

Sport has a unique influence that both brings us together as a single Saudi family and connects us as a more unified international community.

I believe sport is a mirror of who we are and who we want to become. As individuals, striving to discover our best selves and, as a nation, shaping our leadership in the world and the values integral to our global connections and partnerships.

Sport is not something distant from us, but rather something very connected to us, something that spans divides and supersedes cultural and social differences. When our favorite athletes and teams compete — even the most long-standing rivalries, the fiercest individual battles — we are really more united than we are divided. In those moments, sport does what almost nothing else can: it allows us to put aside what drives us apart and, for a brief instance, better understand what we have in common.

We can sit on one side of the stadium but still respect those on the other. We can support our favorite athletes, then marvel at the performance of their competitors. We can watch and embrace someone with a life story completely unlike our own but see our common humanity within.

On the surface, in sport, there are winners and losers, but really, when the stands are quiet and the fields and courts are empty, there are just winners.

That is why sport can connect us and bring us together, even in times of stress and disagreement, when nothing else can. Stadiums become safe places of neutrality and impartiality to assemble athletes and fans in friendly, healthy competition. A reminder, if we can come together in those moments, what else is possible.

That is why, when we invest in sport, we are investing in ourselves. Every riyal spent on strengthening and expanding a Saudi sport or athletic tradition strengthens every Saudi.

That is why, when we invest in sport, we are investing in our young people, providing them with opportunities their parents could only imagine. Opportunities to test themselves, to dream and to chase those dreams.

That is why, when we invest in sport, we are investing in girls and young women, confirming their value, securing their equity to compete, participate and perform freely and safely, and to ensure there are female role models to inspire future generations of young girls.

That is why, when we invest in sport, we are investing in the future of our nation, defining who we are within the international community, confirming we are one of the places the world congregates when nations come together.

Sport can connect us and bring us together, even in times of stress and disagreement, when nothing else can.

Princess Delayel bint Nahar Al-Saud

A decade from now, Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 Asian Games and, hopefully, also the FIFA World Cup.

Our plan for the 2034 World Cup is to be the first nation to ever host the 48-team tournament as a single host country. We will have five host cities and another 10 host locations, with games played in 15 unique and visionary stadiums.

There really is no better place for the 2034 Asian Games and World Cup than Saudi Arabia. Sixty percent of the world is within eight hours of traveling time. We have hosted more than 100 international events since 2018. Last year, we were ranked first in the world for international tourist growth. And when it comes to football, our Saudi Pro League has more than 150 international players.

The world’s athletes are already competing in the Kingdom.

But just not the world’s athletes — we are also growing our own domestic sports capacity. Next month, more than 9,000 athletes and participants will come together in Riyadh to compete in more than 50 sports in the third edition of the Saudi Games.

This is our chance to celebrate the growth of sports in the Kingdom. Sports is a pillar of Vision 2030 and, in just a few years, we have seen a dramatic expansion in the sector. Most importantly, we have seen the development of opportunities for athletes in Saudi Arabia to participate in sports regardless of skill level and for every Saudi citizen to engage in physical activity to improve their health and quality of life.

As a former equestrian athlete, when I was younger, I had to travel abroad to train and compete internationally. But now, with our recent investments in sport, our emphasis on inclusion and equity in sports and the growth in and access to training facilities, women’s sport involvement has increased by 150 percent since 2015. For young girls, that means 70,000 now play in school football leagues.

That is sport as a mirror, showing us who we are, who we are becoming and who we will be.

The Kingdom we will show the world during the 2034 Asian Games and the FIFA World Cup will be different from the country we know today. It will continue to transform and get better.

But what will not change are our reasons for hosting the Asian Games and the World Cup: to grow connections, to grow sport and to grow together, both as a nation and as a global family.

• Princess Delayel bint Nahar Al-Saud is Deputy Director of the Saudi Games.