The American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia

Launches its Sports Committee with Its First Event:

“Saudi Sports Expansion and Rapid Growth

of the Sports Industry in the Kingdom”

May 18th, 2022

Jeddah

The American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia Launches its Sports Committee with Its First Event: “Saudi Sports Expansion and Rapid Growth of the Sports Industry in the Kingdom”

The American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia has launched its Sports Committee and held its first event, a panel on “Saudi Sports Expansion and Rapid Growth of the Sports Industry in the Kingdom” hosted Wednesday, May 18th in Jeddah.
The panel discussion featured representation from four Saudi Sports Federations as well as key players in the strategic development and legal functions of the industry.

With the recent excitement surrounding the growth and development of the Sports industry in the Kingdom, the American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia has launched its Sports Committee and held its first event, a panel on “Saudi Sports Expansion and Rapid Growth of the Sports Industry in the Kingdom” hosted Wednesday, May 18th in Jeddah.

Opening remarks were made by American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Chapter President, Forrest Young, and Jeddah Chapter Vice-President, Mohamad Tafesh, who congratulated the committee on its launch and ambitious future plans. This was followed by panelist remarks, a moderated discussion, a participant Q&A, and the opportunity to network with key players in the industry.

The panel discussion featured representation from four Saudi Sports Federations as well as key players in the strategic development and legal functions of the industry. Speakers included: Maxwell Andrews, Chair of the Sports Committee and Recreation Manager at KAUST; Sage Park, Champion of the Sports Committee and the Owner of Milestones, Inc.; Yasmine Algahtani, Managing Director of the Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation; Sattam AlHazami, Neo of Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federations; Andrew Bowers, Commercial Director of Saudi Motor Sports; Majed Garoua, Managing Director of the Law Firm of Majed Garoub, and Manal Salman, Sports Lawyer at Garoub and Associates.

The panel discussed the activation of federations, strategic best practices for the growth of sports initiatives in the Kingdom, the opportunities for foreign partnerships, and the future of sports in Saudi Arabia. Committee Champion Sage Park highlighted, “Opportunities for the business of sport are at an all time high and growing rapidly. Our committee is well placed to facilitate the connections between American and Saudi companies to better support this growth.”

Panelists discussed the sports industry in the context of Vision 2030 as well by highlighting the increase in tourism and creation of business through sporting events, the potential for adventure tourism through adventure sports, and the idea that sports are a means of uniting diverse groups of people. The panelists also discussed the structure of sports in the Kingdom, highlighting that there are over 100 federations with over 400 games and sustainability should be a consideration in the development of programs.

The launch of the Sports Committee for the American Chamber of Commerce is a strategic opportunity to promote an integrated governmental approach linking sports and recreation to policies such as economy, investment, inclusive growth, employment, innovation, green growth, local development, and entrepreneurship. Its mission is to positively impact the Saudi sports industry through the empowerment of operations, federations, and individuals within the sector. The committee cooperates closely with the Kingdom’s public sector, bringing leaders from the private sector together to more effectively share knowledge and best practices and contribute to shaping Saudi’s discussion on the sports and recreation sector.

Chair of the Sports Committee, Maxwell Andrews, noted, “Sports is an essential part of American life and we greatly appreciate the value it brings to the quality of life for society. AmChamKSA initiatives aim to help shape the future of Sports in Saudi Arabia. There are many exciting opportunities ahead and we are looking forward to playing a part in Saudi Arabia’s rapidly growing sports industry."