Rebuilding Yemen Program Boosts Sports Infrastructure and Opens New Horizons for Yemeni Youth
Saudi Arabia is a leading supporter of youth and sports development in Yemen through the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen. The program provides continuous support through sports and youth initiatives, including the rehabilitation of sports facilities, the construction of stadiums, tournament sponsorship, technical support, and knowledge transfer in the sports sector to enhance the capabilities of Yemeni youth for a brighter future.
Sports play a crucial role in promoting public health and well-being, significantly improving the quality of life for communities. The Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen aims to achieve sustainable development goals focusing on ensuring good health for all ages and providing a modern sports environment that encourages active participation and contributes to building a sporting community.
The program has been keen on implementing sports projects that meet the latest international standards to support youth and enhance their sports skills. Notable projects include the construction of sports stadiums meeting FIFA specifications, such as the stadiums of Al-Jazeera, Al-Rawda, and Al-Mina, providing youth with a distinguished sports environment to excel in sports and motivate them to achieve excellence.
Developing the skills of youth and enhancing their sports capabilities is a crucial area supported by the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen. More than 30 sports courts dedicated to basketball and volleyball have been built in model schools across various Yemeni provinces, promoting physical fitness culture and instilling healthy lifestyles among students to build the skills of youth, enhance the capabilities of budding athletes, and contribute to building a generation of young athletes.
Efforts to support sports in Yemen have not been limited to developing sports facilities but have also included organizing several sports tournaments that allow youth to compete and showcase their skills. Among these tournaments were the Marib Football Championship with 14 clubs and 588 young participants, the Hadramout Basketball Championship with 17 clubs and 289 young participants, and the Volleyball Championship with 10 clubs and 140 young participants, enhancing sports competition and supporting athletes and sports.
In a move to revive sports activities in sports facilities, the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen rehabilitated the Ali Asaad Muthanna Sports Hall in Aden after a period of inactivity, revitalizing sports energy in the province and providing youth the opportunity to benefit from these facilities for skill development, capacity building, and sports practice.
In another step towards enhancing cooperation in the sports field, the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen signed a joint cooperation memorandum with the Ministry of Sports in June 2020 to support sports in Yemen, continuing efforts to leverage all government resources to assist Yemeni brothers. The collaboration aims to develop the capacities and potential of Yemeni youth, enhance sports activities in Yemen, improve the efficiency of sports facilities, train professionals in sports and youth fields, empower Yemeni youth, and develop the capabilities of sports practitioners.
In a supportive gesture towards outstanding athletes, the program celebrated the Yemeni youth team after winning the West Asia Youth Championship, not only as a celebration of the achievement but also as a motivation for young athletes to exert more effort to excel in various sports events.
The Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen has implemented 264 developmental projects and initiatives in eight essential sectors in various Yemeni provinces, including education, health, water, energy, transportation, agriculture and fisheries, capacity building and support for the Yemeni government, and development programs.
