Large youth demographic to enhance sports sector, says minister

JEDDAH: Given the size of the demographic, the Kingdom’s youth is its beacon for change. Many of Saudi Vision 2030’s programs are centered around young people and ways to empower them, and one sector that is strongly enabling them is sports.

The 5th Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers, held under the theme “Development of Youth and Sports for a Solidarity-based Ummah,” is being hosted by the Saudi Ministry of Sports in cooperation with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah.

Arab News spoke to Saudi Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal on the sidelines of the three-day event, which will conclude on Friday.

The prince highlighted King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s support for developing the sector.

“I would like to thank King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their support and encouragement and belief in the youth of the Kingdom, and all the programs that are being initiated within the Kingdom,” he said. 

“As you’ve seen in the past couple of years, there have been a lot of programs (created) with all entities and all sectors to enhance the capabilities of the youth of the Kingdom,” he added.

The minister also said Saudi Arabia showcased that its sports sector can host many international events. 

Prince Abdulaziz pointed out that 70 percent of the population in the Kingdom is below the age of 40. “There is a big population that needs to be taken care of and we need to make sure that we (have) all the necessary programs (to) ensure that they evolve and prosper for the future and for the development of the Kingdom,” he said. 

“There are a lot of programs that we are working on with all the member states, and there are a lot of programs that