SFA and Diriyah Gate ‍Development Authority sign agreement to ensure sport is at the heart of the Kingdom

Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) and the Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand Diriyah Gate’s history with sports. The purpose of the MoU is to serve community sports in Diriyah, develop sport programs for the local community, and exchange expertise and knowledge.

The MoU will coordinate the introduction of joint programs and community events in the Diriyah Gate and Wadi Hanifah areas. The agreement aims to increase the ratio of people participating in sports and physical activities, fulfilling the strategic aims of both organizations to increase access and participation. The agreement also aims to expand marketing efforts and campaigns to build awareness, as well as strengthen the tradition of historically practiced sports in the area.

Diriyah Gate Development Authority CEO, Jerry Inzerillo confirmed that the MoU will transform the historical area into a sporting destination, through the development of community programs. Given Diriyah Gate Development’s exposure on the international sports stage, providing sports from global sporting events to a full program of grassroots-level activities is important to achieve this goal.

HRH Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, President of the SFA, mentioned that the MoU with DGDA is the latest in a series of agreements the SFA has signed to promote sports at a community level, and it is aimed at ensuring access and availability to sports are incorporated in the urban redevelopment of the historical site as a priority from the early planning stages.

It is worth mentioning the recent successes of Diriyah Gate Development Authority’s on the international sports stage including the DGDA Show Jumping Tournament, Formula E Championship, which relied on clean, renewable energy. This aligns with DGDA’s efforts to abide by global sustainability standards when it comes to developing amenities for residents and visitors.

For SFA, the agreement with DGDA is another steppingstone in the SFA’s mandate towards increasing the number of people undertaking regular physical activity. The SFA recently signed similar MoUs with the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), in addition to marketing campaigns that raise awareness of the importance of sports, namely “Start Now” and the National Day Campaign, which sought to bring together communities through sports.

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About the Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA)

The Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA), a proactive community sport and wellness organization founded to promote a healthy lifestyle in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, aims to provide access to opportunities for all members of society to practice physical activity. Partnering with government organizations, sports delivery bodies, sports federations, and the wider public and private sector to achieve its goals, the SFA focuses on increasing physical activity and health and wellness metrics across the country. The increase of physical activity is achieved by advancing four strategic priorities: education; community and volunteering; fitness and wellbeing; and campaigns and promotion. It does this by designing and deploying recreational sports programs tailored for women, men, youth, the elderly and persons with disabilities across Saudi Arabia.

For more details about SFA please contact:
Osamah Saleh Alnuaiser – Director of Marketing and Communications  osalnuaiser@gsa.gov.sa   

About the Diriyah Gate Development Authority:

Established in July 2017, Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) is tasked with preserving Diriyah’s history, celebrating its community and developing the historic site into one of the world’s greatest gathering places and a hub for Saudi culture and heritage, and tourism. The Diriyah Gate Development Authority represents the local community of Diriyah, and aims to celebrate the residents of the region by telling their stories, highlighting their social, cultural and historical achievements, and linking the roots of the Saudi state to its present and future. The authority seeks to enhance the presence of Diriyah as one of the most prominent destinations in the region, which provides historical, cultural and knowledge events and activities, in addition to hosting international events. Diriyah currently includes a number of external and internal museums in the archaeological neighborhood of At-Turaif, which is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The authority is working to ensure the integration of the cultural attractions in Diriyah with a group of the finest leading hotel brands, fine restaurants, and high-level retail offers.

© Press Release 2021