RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Following celebrations of the 91st Saudi National Day, Golf Saudi has been working closely with the Ministry of Education (MoE) to host a series of golf activations, following the recent long weekend festivities.

Ably assisted by the Saudi School Sports Federation (SSSF), several thousand participants took part in the golf related activities, including MoE staff, teachers and students. All were invited to learn more about the game and pick up a golf club to try out the sport for themselves for the first time.

Held over three days, Golf Saudi’s Mass Participation team led by Bouchaib El Jadiani was responsible for organizing a series of special events this week, which included traditional Saudi heritage and folklore dancing, a SNAG (Starting New At Golf) activation along with a six-hole mini golf activation.

Minister of Education Hamad Bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh was also in attendance to recognize returning Olympic hero Tarek Hamdi, who won a silver medal in Tokyo in the Karate. Golf Saudi was also presented with its own award from the minister for the organization’s wider encouragement to help grow the game throughout Saudi Arabia and support its development in schools and universities.

Majed Al Sorour, chief executive officer, Golf Saudi, commented: “It was a great pleasure to receive an award of this stature from Hamad Bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh. 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.”

Al Sorour continued: “Quite simply, 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. 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 pathway to mobilize against meeting Golf Saudi’s targets of creating 2,200 jobs and developing 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 programme at primary, secondary and higher education levels. This has since been delivered through a series of tiered, progressive educational initiatives with the assistance of physical educators who are able to provide the training, equipment, and framework to conduct the foundation levels of golf introduction.

This latest activation with the SSSF is another milestone within Golf Saudi’s long-term vision and mission, with mass participation as a key pillar at the heart of it. Golf Saudi remains committed to providing access to golf multi-level developments and promoting the game by creating interest and touch points throughout the Kingdom with similar events planned in the months ahead.

As part of Vision 2030, The MoE endeavors to provide students at schools, and particularly in higher education, a modern curriculum with a key focus on character development, as well as literacy, numeracy, and other skills. Therefore, 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. — SG