Shoura Council includes three members with sports backgrounds
The Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia, known as Majlis ash-Shoura or the Shoura Council, is the Kingdom’s formal advisory body and has the power to propose laws to the king and his Cabinet.
The consultative council consists of 150 members appointed by the king for a four-year renewable term. Based on their experience, members are assigned to committees. Twelve committees deal with human rights, education, culture, information, health and social affairs, services and public utilities, foreign affairs, and security, administration, Islamic affairs, economy and industry, and finance. This year, three of the members come from a sports background: President of the Saudi Karate Federation Dr. Ibrahim Al-Qannas; former footballer and sports presenter Turki Al-Awwad; and Nassir Al-Dughaither, businessman and former president of the Saudi Water Polo Federation. All three have contributed massively and become veterans in their own sports speciality, and all will be great assets in their new positions.
It is not the first time members with a sports background have been included. During the previous four years, appointments included women such as Lina Almaeena, co-founder of Jeddah United,
Saudi Arabia’s first private female basketball sports academy, in 2006. She has since established a private company to run sports events and expand the sports scene in the Kingdom. Almaeena was appointed as a Shoura member in 2016 by King Salman, charged with advising the Cabinet on legislation.
When the king appointed
Almaeena, it was the seventh cycle, and the second for women’s inclusion. This cycle started with the announcement of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. It was a time of transformation with a push for women’s participation and help in increasing awareness in many fields, including sports.
Based on her background and expertise, Almaeena proposed two projects: To initiate sport sciences departments in universities and to include physical education and integrate it the government schools. Even though sometimes certain recommendations fail to pass through the council, the national debate and media attention expedite certain files. At the time most of the
Kingdom’s schools were public and did not have physical education. It was crucial and, luckily, 24 hours after the recommendations and debates, the education minister at the time announced the inclusion of PE in public schools.
Thanks to such efforts, we now have achieved our visions and goals of increasing participation in sports from initially 20 percent by 2020 to 23 percent moving forward. We have sports management/sciences majors in several universities for both sexes, and we have 64 sports federations with women already holding positions, including being board members. Women and families can attend sporting events. Membership of the Shoura Council allowed Almaeena to see the bigger picture, with a greater role in her community and with the country’s women and society.
The perspective of sports should be holistic — not just physical but also social, psychological, economic and political. We believe that the current sports ministry will empower and offer opportunities in district centers and capitalize on the sports groups, volunteers and federations working together to become the vibrant society envisaged under Vision 2030.
The impact of the inclusion of members with sports backgrounds extends from health and fitness to quality of life and the Kingdom’s economic growth.
What we have seen from the previous example will hopefully be a starting point to many more achievements and transformations in the country. Having new members with sports backgrounds will help the process and ensure everything aligns, including future ideas at the Shoura Council regarding sports. The alignment of the Vision 2030 and cooperation of the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee will also ensure the government achieves its goals on sports development and sustainability.
Upcoming government projects and plans, such as hosting the 2027 Asian Cup or the 2030 Asian Games, are also designed to align with the bright vision for the country. And I’m proud to say that it is being done by Saudis who are passionate about it and look forward to seeing more of these transformations taking place so they can witness the impact, learn and progress with future generations.