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 are continuing from the previous sessions.”
Adel Khalifa Al-Zayani, head of human and environment affairs at the Gulf Cooperation Council, said: “This … is an area with opportunities, and all the resources are focused on human resources, so that’s why … we have to depend on our human resources, and mostly the youth.”
OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha said the challenges faced by young in OIC member states needed to be addressed, especially high unemployment, the spread of extremism, displacement, asylum-seeking and illegal immigration.
To that end, he called for developing joint policies and strategies to meet the needs of young people, to offer them opportunities and to enhance their role in development, as well as to build and promote peace and dialogue to combat extremism and terrorism.
The secretary-general pointed out that global studies indicate that OIC members accommodate about a quarter of the world’s youth, and it is expected that the OIC countries will have more than a third of the world’s youth by 2050, according to the UN.
This can provide opportunities for the Muslim world if the potential of its youth is appropriately harnessed, and if it is involved in setting and implementing policies and programs on things like sports development.
He called for concrete action through development programs for young people in all member states, and asked OIC member states and relevant institutions to play an active role in these programs and initiatives.
Taha commended the great attention and care paid by the leadership of Saudi Arabia to issues related to youth and sports in the OIC member states in particular, and for the care and continuous support for the OIC and its various activities and programs, in order to strengthen Islamic solidarity, and to advance the role entrusted to the OIC.