Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal announced that over the past four years, 80 international sporting events have brought 2.5 million tourists to Saudi Arabia. He praised the leadership's support for the sports sector, which has spurred growth and global visibility, particularly through events like Formula 1 in Jeddah, which attracted visitors from 160 countries, created 20,000 jobs, and generated SAR 900 million in economic impact.

The Minister also highlighted the private sector’s key role in the sports industry, with 14 clubs up for privatization, attracting interest from 25 companies, including international investors. He pointed to the success of the Nafis platform, which has licensed 2,000 academies and 500 clubs, enabling many to transition into businesses.

Recent investments, including high-profile acquisitions of clubs by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Saudi Aramco, align with Vision 2030. The goal is to make sports clubs financially independent and grow the sector's contribution to Saudi Arabia’s GDP from SAR 2.4 billion in 2016 to SAR 18 billion by 2030.