While the Undersecretary for Development and Planning at the Ministry of Sports, Adwaa Al-Arifi, said that there has been a remarkable development in the sports sector in the Kingdom, especially in the past three years and under the umbrella of the wise leadership, with its unlimited support for this vital sector, noting that the ministry aims to increase the number of clubs in the Kingdom, which has reached There are currently about 170 sports clubs to increase the absorptive capacity of sports talents in the Kingdom, and that there is a significant increase in the number of sports practitioners in the Kingdom from 13% before the launch of the vision to 19% in 2019, in addition to the remarkable increase of practitioners given the various programs and initiatives Which was launched in partnership with all parties, pointing out that our target in 2030 is to reach 40% of sports practitioners.
Al-Arifi explained that the Kingdom has hosted more than 50 sporting events in recent years, which included more than 2 million visitors, and we won the bid to host the 2023 edition of the World Martial Arts Games, an international multi-sport event that includes 15 sports and martial arts. With our endeavors towards promoting a vibrant society with a diversified economy following the vision of 2030, she added that the Kingdom possesses modern and appropriate infrastructure, as well as human resources that possess a lot of sports passion.
The second session confirms that sports investment is promising and its challenges are diverse.
The second session of the forum revealed that investing in sports has promising investment prospects, based on the quantitative and qualitative development of the sector, as there are 26 sports federations in the Kingdom, and the sports audience is wide and diverse in interest, and its service is a promising profitable activity in various fields, as well as the returns that can be To invest in non-sports sectors such as advertising.
The participants in the session entitled (Successful Experiences in Sports Investment) and managed by a member of the Sharkia Business Youth Council stated that Abunian promised that there are many challenges to sports investment, but the reason for optimism is the official support and the trend towards privatization, as well as public awareness of the importance of sports and the tendency to practice it, and therefore benefit from the services of the institutions concerned in this regard.
Ahmed Al-Mashhadi (from the Saudi Media Company) said that the privatization of stadiums, and opening them to private investment, opened a wide field for sports facilities, in addition to being supportive of sports, as it supports small and medium enterprises to provide their services in stadiums such as tickets, which are different degrees according to locations. We have to operate it according to the goal for which it was established, and then sponsorship activities, entertainment programs, and various events, which are supported by the features that characterize the stadiums from the area and sites equipped to receive a wide audience, small and medium enterprises must be qualified to provide the requirements of this audience, and benefit from them And success will be its ally according to its capabilities and the extent of its connection to the sports and entertainment side.
As for Ahmed Bukhamseen (General Manager of Fitness World Company), he explained that the beginning of investment in the sports field may be difficult, and that is like any activity, the beginnings are difficult, but the space is available to develop the model, and what characterizes the Riyadh sector is that it is a diversified sector, and every activity in it has its own challenges. It also has its audience and clients, so the investor should know the category he is targeting, and I believe that privatization will contribute to supporting sports and supporting economic investment in sports activities, events, and goods.
As for Amal Baatia (Crossnet teacher), he explained that the success of the investor in the sports field will be better and more efficient if it comes from passion and hobby, then the hobby is turned into an investment and a craft with a financial return. Investment in sports is an economic sector that gives additional value to any country in the world, and we have Praise be to God, there is an interest in sports activity, through 26 sports federations covering all types of sports, as it is a large and clear sector, and investment in it is worthwhile, especially since the public has become aware and knows what it wants from the facilities that provide this service. , and so on.
Faris Abu Ali (CEO of Osas) said that the obstacles to sports investment are meeting the ambitions of customers, which require the company wishing to provide a service or a sporting good to develop its designs and materials to achieve the ambitions of the target group (men and women alike), and I think that we have entered a level where we export our investment model abroad and are not satisfied with the local arena, although our arena is also large.
The third session: Various modern games and support services that open a new investment field in clubs
In the third and final session of the forum, which was held under the title: Investment in Sports Clubs and managed by a member of the Youth Business Council Ibrahim Al-Suhaibani, CEO of Al-Hilal Investment Club Company Sultan Al-Sheikh said that sports clubs are now more interested in the issue of investment, to increase the club’s income and raise its financial efficiency. He stressed that the legislative environment supported this trend of the clubs through the reorganization of legislation to become safer for investors, and a great incentive for the investor to enter into various projects of the club.
For his part, a member of the board of directors and head of the Marketing and Investment Committee at Al-Nasr Club, Moataz Al-Mazrou, said that the sports club relies on a large fan base that supports it in the issue of financial income, which makes the club think of making a convincing investment product that can be marketed to investors, noting that the various games have become aground. Fertile for investment, pointing out that there are different new games, most notably electronic games, which have become one of the most important projects that support clubs financially.
For his part, the financial director of Al-Qadisiyah Club, Faris Al-Mufleh, said that the investor in any sector, including the sports sector, is keen not to enter into the project and is not sure of the profit returns, as he does not pay a sum of money knowing that this amount will be spent randomly, indicating that sports clubs After the issue of governance, a large number of qualified youth of the country became working in clubs, and this matter had a positive impact on the process of complying with work regulations and also more interested in the issue of development, advising not to focus on the football game so that there would be no impact on the entire club system if a football team faltered football, but rather the development of the rest of the games to achieve various investment opportunities that support the club.
For his part, the CEO of Al-Ittifaq Club, Moaz Al-Ohali, spoke about the issue of investing in services, despite the presence of a high-risk rate, pointing out that the club’s support services sector lacks the presence of sufficient local companies working in this specialty. Very high for both parties, whether the club or companies working in the field, pointing out that the sports sector is witnessing various details that open a door for investment, such as projects to establish camps, as well as projects for organizing and coordinating the establishment of friendly matches between club teams, in addition to electronic program projects that have become more in demand, including programs Statistics and others, stressing that all these projects need qualified companies and work professionally.
Workshops: The largest sports entertainment city is an investment opportunity presented by the Eastern Province Municipality to investors
In the workshops accompanying the forum, which were held on Tuesday evening, June 2, 2021, Eng. Abdullah Al-Baqmi from the General Administration of Commercial Investment in the Eastern Region Municipality said that the regulation for the disposal of municipal real estate issued by Royal Decree No. (40152) dated 06/29/1441 and the amendments made to it are aimed at making available The opportunity to qualify investors for quality projects, which will enable the secretariats to deal with expert houses specialized in marketing for investment opportunities, will achieve, God willing, the transformation of municipal facilities and real estate from a source of cost to a source of revenue by investing them in a manner appropriate to the uses of the facilities, and supports the direction of the Kingdom’s vision 2030 in Increasing the contribution of the private sector to the gross domestic product, resulting in achieving sustainable and balanced urban development, and achieving increasing levels of financial self-sufficiency.
Accordingly, he reviewed several investment opportunities, including some in the sports field, which are implemented in partnership with several bodies concerned with sports affairs, including the partnership with the Ministry of Sports and Youth through several initiatives, including the Sports for All initiative in Salsabil Park, and with the Saudi Federation for Marine Sports and Diving, through a center and platform For marine sports and diving in the eastern region with a professional concept in line with environmental standards.
Among the projects that are still under the title is the establishment of the largest entertainment city in the Eastern Province and one of the largest entertainment cities in the Kingdom that includes 40 activities (entertainment and sports) at 350 million riyals, and it is located on an area of 2,200 million square meters.
For her part, Director of Business Development at Najam Sports Company Shadan Al-Saqri said in a working paper entitled (Investment in Sports Clubs), she said that with the development of the local market and keeping pace with customers' requirements, the investor in sports clubs must first understand what the concepts of clubs are, and what are the market needs according to the city or Conservation and interests of the target customer segment of the requirements.
She stressed the need to prepare a marketing plan for sports clubs focusing on 4 main points: the first is to study the geographical area and population density of the area and understand the target segment and consumer behavior before starting the marketing process, in order to ensure the best possible quality of service for customers, and secondly: to provide the appropriate service that meets the aspirations of customers and focus on after-sales service, and the development of systems that help raise the level of customer satisfaction, and provide the best possible service in return for the subscription amount, and the third: customer support and service within the club, including identifying customer concerns that raise the level of quality, including: the website and the mobile application , explanatory videos, and finally: Excellence in providing added value over competitors, such as providing nutrition advice and providing specialists assisting in achieving goals, in addition to providing free services such as quotas when needed or customer inquiries.
For his part, the founder of Run In Sports, Mohammed Al-Mohammadi, spoke about the retail trade in the sports sector, which has witnessed many and many developments according to the growth of sports activity, stressing the importance of the development of institutions and companies operating in the sports sector to keep pace with the development and great change in the sector, especially at the state level, according to the Kingdom’s vision 2030.
Al-Mohammadi said that the concept of retail has undergone several changes according to the changes taking place in the economic sector, as everyone must respond to and keep pace with those changes.
Al-Mohammadi explained that several criteria govern the establishment of a commercial project in the Riyadh sector, such as choosing the site in open spaces, as well as in commercial centers and complexes, and attention to project designs and implementation.
Al-Mohammadi pointed to the need to focus on the selection of products and the establishment of the work team according to specializations, such as the technician, the customer service official, the marketing official, the procurement official, the sales supervisor, as well as the sales staff of the branches, in addition to the accountant and the manager, pointing to the importance of diversifying products and subjecting employees to periodic training courses and attention to digital marketing.
