Saudi Arabia's football federation appoints first women board members
Saudi Arabia’s Football Federation (SAFF) has appointed two women to its
board of directors for the first time in its history, and also named a
new president.
Adwa Al-Arifi, who was previously a SAFF committee member, joins Reham
Al-Onaizan, who brings rich experience in planning and project
management from the private sector, on the board.
Football is one of the most popular and fastest-growing sports for women
in Saudi Arabia, particularly after stadiums were opened to women to
become more family-friendly with tens of thousands flocking to watch the
action since.
Al-Arifi said: “Football in Saudi Arabia has always unified us as
families behind TV screens, and now inside stadiums, to support our
clubs and national teams who made us happy and proud for years. It is
such an honor to be able to serve the youth and families of Saudi Arabia
through football.
“For us, football is more than a sport, it’s a rich cultural activity
that brings us all together.” Quassay Alfawaz was elected as SAFF’s
president at the King Fahad Cultural Center in Riyadh on Wednesday, and
he revealed big plans for the development of Saudi Arabian football.
Speaking at SAFF’s annual general assembly, he said his goals for Saudi
Arabian football in his first term – which runs until 2022 – are
doubling the number of football players in the country, improving the
ranking of the Saudi national team to 40th in the world (up from 70th).
He told the meeting: “We are confident about the situation of our
national team before the Asian Cup tournament, we will be preparing our
team to achieve the best possible results. We believe that our football
has the right capabilities to reach a global stage.”
Alfawaz said he plans to send more players from the Kingdom to strong
foreign leagues, a move which began to happen in 2018, and to place the
Saudi Pro League – this year named the MBS League — among the top 10 in
the world. His ambitious program, called ‘The Rise of Saudi Football’,
will also see an increase in the number of national coaches and the
recruitment of specialized scouts to discover more raw talent in Saudi
Arabia.
He told delegates his plan is inspired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman’s Vision 2030 program. As part of his team to improve football,
Alfawaz will be joined by Roger Draper, the former Chief Executive of
Sport England from 2003 to 2006 and the Lawn Tennis Association from
2006 to 2013.
In his time at Sport England, Draper had overall accountability for
business turnover of £340m and was involved in London’s 2012 Olympic
bid, and the Wembley National Stadium construction project.
Alfawaz said: “Foreign expertise is essential, and Roger Draper has rich
experience in the English Premier League managing several sports
projects. We will benefit from his experience.”
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