The participation of Saudi women in sport is witnessing an accelerated transformation that reflects a real change in the features of this sector. After the presence of women in the sports arena was limited and tired of difficulties, today their participation has become more capable, as a result of the efforts of women supporting women in the sports sector and it is one of the targets of Saudi Vision 2030.
The number of mathematics increased by 329% from 823 athletes in 2022 to more than 3,500 athletes in 2024, which reflects the expansion of the practices base and the increasing entry of women to sport at various levels, from practice, hobby to professionalism and representation of the Kingdom in international forums, according to the annual report of Saudi Vision 2030.
The percentage of Saudi women who practice physical activity per week increased from 7.3% in 2017 to 46% in 2024, with a growth rate exceeding 500%, indicating a remarkable behavioral and societal transformation in the relationship with sports and public health.
An example of this transformation, Razan Al -Ajmi says the first Saudi woman to obtain a perpetrator jumping license during her conversation with Al -Eqtisadia Contest.
“Opportunities are present and support exists, just need to take the step.”
Empowerment did not stop at practice, as the number of women in the boards of directors of sports federations reached 104 women, representing 30% of leadership positions, while there are 7 presidents of sports federations.
Reem Asaad, an economic and investor writer in sport, said that the empowerment that we see today is a direct extension of the 2030 vision, which considered the “healthy person” one of its basic pillars, and includes men and women, noting that the Crown Prince has repeatedly stressed that women are half of society, and that disrupting their participation in the economy and society is a disruption of half of society.
Consequently, allowing women to exercise of all kinds and representing the Kingdom internationally, and creating their own or branching teams and clubs from major clubs, comes at the heart of this vision that does not exclude women from any athletic role, whether as practices or as decision makers in the legislative and supervisory departments.
This transformation also contributed, according to the report, to the establishment of 40 national women’s teams within 25 sports federations, and public events such as Riyadh Marathon witnessed 2024 remarkable women’s participation formed 36% of the total participants.
In addition, 13,000 women, between 35 and 50 years old, joined the Saudi Sports Federation programs, which reflects the expansion of the age group interested in physical activity.
He told Al -Eqtisadiah, a member of the Saudi Economy Association, Dr. Abdullah Al -Maghlouth, that the history of Saudi women in sport is not new, but it has witnessed a great development in recent years as a result of social, cultural and political changes.
He explains that the participation was limited in the past periods due to social restrictions, but the rapid transformations led by the government today contributed to the removal of many obstacles, and provided an encouraging environment for exercising freely and independently.
Farah Al -Youssef, one of the first Saudi women in motorsport, was narrated during her interview with Al -Eqtisadiah, the challenges she faced in its beginnings 8 years ago, when the championships were limited and support is limited to mathematics in this field, while now the support she received from the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Federation of Cars and Motorcycle contributed to its continuation and development.
She indicated that the success of Saudi women in sport has a major role in attracting investments to the sector, especially from international companies interested in sponsoring athletes, and competitors and athletes from outside the Kingdom have become to aspire to come to Saudi Arabia to develop their skills and enhance the level of competition in various sports.
Returning to Maghnouth, as he stressed that these developments were clearly reflected on the presence of Saudi women in regional and international championships, including the Olympic Games, which contributed to raising the level of societal awareness and enhancing the principle of gender equality.
He also believes that strengthening the role of women in sport is an essential part of the Vision 2030 targets, which seek to achieve sustainable development and diversity in society.
This progress is not limited to the participation side only, but the sector witnessed a clear increase in the number of specialized women’s competencies, as the number of trainers increased 194% from 2022 to 2024, which indicates the growth of interest in the rehabilitation and empowerment of women in the sports field at the training level as well.
For his part, Dr. Abdel -Wahab Al -Qahtani, a professor at Al Yamamah University in Al -Khobar, told Al -Iqtisadiya that the entry of women the sports economy market encouraged the establishment of companies specialized in this vital field, because the entry of women as a practice and follow -up of sports means an increase in demand for sports products and services (sportswear, tools, club subscriptions, health applications), in addition to women’s sport that created jobs in multiple fields such as training.
Asaad asserts that the participation of women in all sectors has an economic reflection as a consumer or a participation of participation, as it needs tools, training, and financial support to participate in championships and competitions, which opens a wide door for spending and investing in the women’s sport sector, starting from purchasing equipment to registration of tournaments, in an integrated economic tournament.
She added, that recent years have witnessed a great development in the infrastructure supporting sports, such as the creation of sports paths, walking in public parks such as the Corcaliche of Jeddah, and the sports path that was recently opened in Riyadh, as well as bicycle and pedestrian paths inside the neighborhoods.
While the hurricane jumping knight expressed Al -Humaidan arts during her conversation with Al -Iqtisadiya, its happiness with the development witnessed by equestrian sport in the Kingdom, the support provided by the Saudi Equestrian Federation, which gave women an opportunity to appear and achieve achievements that were not available in the past, and the impact of hosting international championships in Saudi Arabia, stressing that the presence of international athletes in the Kingdom gave an opportunity to gain experiences from them.
She said: “We were not allowed to participate in local and international championships, and now we see women on coronation platforms.”
