Saudi Arabia wants to become a focal point of international sport. In a period in which rumors are circulating about a possible candidacy of the country for the 2030 World Cup, the kingdom’s sports ministry this morning inaugurated NAFES, the portal through which it intends to attract foreign funds and private individuals to invest in Saudi sport.
In particular, the portal has three objectives:
- encourage private sector investment in Saudi sport, guaranteeing a unique opportunity for those interested to found, purchase or develop their own academy or sports center in the country
- develop and grow the sports sector and its economic revenues
- increasing the number of clubs and academies, elevating competition and improving the quality of Saudi sport and sports in general.
NAFES, which recalls the Arabic term for “challenge”, was presented through a short video, which summarizes the potential successes of an imaginary “Vision Club”, a multi-sports club created thanks to the portal. The images of the first Saudi nationality Ballon d’Or, the triumph of Vision in eSports, basketball, judo and fencing (the latter two thanks to female athletes) flow through.
As the name of the fictional club in the video suggests, the project is part of Vision 2030, the economic reform and diversification program launched by Prince Bin Salman in 2015. Arabia thus wants to make sport an integral part of its economy and a substantial percentage of its GDP, reducing its dependence on oil and improving the quality of life of its population; NAFES is part of the “Quality of Life program” within the Vision 2030.
The portal allows immediate registration depending on the investor’s interest. There are three different paths, each consisting of six steps, depending on whether you want to found or buy a club, an academy or a sports center. All paths begin with registration with the Ministry of Commerce, followed by registration on the Shoomos platform of the Ministry of the Interior. Only then can you apply for a license, and once issued you must apply for a rental license in order to start your business.
This is how Saudi Arabia’s attempt to change its international image continues by using sport as an instrument of soft power, that is, as an instrument of influence through which Arabia aims to assert its interests on the international stage. Unlike other Gulf countries, including the UAE and Qatar’s hated rivals, which focus primarily on investing in clubs and companies overseas, the kingdom seeks to take the reverse path in an effort to create futures. generations of Saudi athletes able to compete internationally in all sports.
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