Education, education, education Saudi style

Golf Saudi steps up to the mark – with bells on

It’s now been almost a year since Golf Saudi signed a bold new partnership with the Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE) back in 2020. In the intervening 12 months, both parties have been hard at work to implement a series of multi-level, certified Arabic language educational programmes, amidst new launches, new strategies, new goals and ambitious targets.

Golf Saudi is as committed as ever to delivering a dynamic programme that transforms the golfing landscape by embarking on this training and education pathway. Becoming one of the most innovative golf markets in the world will only be possible through the upskilling of this domestic work force. Golf is good for business and can provide a direct boost to the Kingdom ’ s GDP, as well as providing lucrative jobs and creating new enterprise.

The CMAE partnership has never been more important in terms of helping achieve Golf Saudi’ s ultimate mission to develop Saudi nationals as leaders of the country ’ s golfing ecosystem.

This is where the CMAE comes in, and by working together, Golf Saudi has already been able to make progress on core human resources targets of growing the domestic golf talent pool and ultimately creating new Saudi National Certified Club Managers.

There is now an education and training pathway in place for Saudi Nationals to become equipped with the knowledge to embark on a role within the golf industry.AsthepriorityforGolfSaudiistohave2,250 Saudi nationals working in the golf industry by 2025 and to reach 3,750 nationals by 2030, our partnership with the CMAE is the starting point for this.

The future of the game lies with the young, and if Golf Saudi is to succeed, the organisation through CMAE’ s assistance will need to convince as many youngmenandwomenaspossibletonotonlytakeup thegameofgolf,butalsobelievethatafuturecareerin golf is as viable, as it is attractive.

A busy year

With all of this in mind, this has been another incredibly busy year for Golf Saudi, with the hosting of the Saudi International Powered by SoftBank Investment Advisors, the launch of the inaugural Aramco Team Series the first ladies team event series of its kind, and the expansion of its National Sustainable Golf Strategy.

As part of the National Sustainable Golf Strategy rollout, Golf Saudi has also launched new Green and Social agendas. These come together to create a singular golfing ecosystem which encourages best practice when it comes to environmental initiatives for golf course development as well as their operation. Since the formation of the National Sustainable Golf Strategy, it’ s certainly been all systems go!

Simultaneously,opportunitiesarebeingcreatedvia the Social Agenda, encouraging the population to pick-upthegameforthefirsttime,througheducation and training programmes, creating a national recruitment pool offering future careers in the golf industry for Saudi nationals. The launch of this Social Agenda in February 2021 was a vital first step in reaching our goals,astheprogrammeiscentreduponboththecreation of employment opportunities and also education and leisure activities, which attract Saudis to the game in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.

Since its formation in 2018, Golf Saudi has organised a series of ambitious domestic and international events in order to entice the next generation of Saudis into the game with the goal of creating 20,000 new golfers over the next five years.

Showcasing the Kingdom

By hosting events, Golf Saudi is able to showcase the Kingdom at its best with the events being shown around the world, enhancing Saudi Arabia ’ s reputation as a golfing destination for its citizens and international visitors alike. Following the continued success of the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, first played in 2019, Golf Saudi wanted to expand its events programme to ensure that Saudi women were also fully encouraged and inspired to take up the game. This led to the conception and creation of the first-ever professional women ’ s golf events in 2020, with two back-to-back events in Jeddah – The Aramco Saudi Ladies International, presented by Public Investment Fund, and the Saudi Ladies Team International. The success of the team ’ s event led to the creation of the Aramco Team Series at the beginning of this year, which saw four tournaments take place across three continents in 2021, with the world’ s best players teaming up with amateur golfers to compete for a $1m prize fund per tournament in London, Sotogrande, New York and Jeddah.

Social Agenda and Mass Participation

The Social Agenda is an integral part of the organisation ’ s plans to ensure Golf Saudi remains fully committed to making golf inclusive for all in the Kingdom. Funds, time and staff resources are not invested solely into events showcasing the progress the Kingdom is making, but to also enhance the Mass Participation pillar.

Often run in tandem with tournaments, Golf Saudi’ s Mass Participation activities range from the National Schools Programme, endorsed by the Ministry of Education, aiming to get over 100,000 school children learning golf as part of the physical education curriculum by 2025, to free access to golf mobile activation events. Many activation events are placed in high footfall areas that entice passers-by to try the game out for the first time. They take place alongside a vast urban golf strategy which focuses on developing facilities such as entertainment ranges, adventure golf, simulator cafes, indoor venues and other public access facilities such as municipal golf courses, miniature putting courses and short course layout, thus creating a golf touch point all corners of society.

Other successful campaigns launched in the past 12 months include the award-winning, highly acclaimed Ladies First Club, followed by Let It Fly, which offers a complimentary pathway for Saudi Nationals to begin playing golf.

Ladies First Club

The Ladies First Club, launched in November 2020 at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International (presented by Public Investment Fund), is a world-first, aiming to provide 1,000 women in Saudi Arabia with their first golf club membership and a pathway to enter the game in the best possible manner. Everyone at Golf Saudi has been very pleasantly surprised by the high uptake from Saudi women with more than 1,000 new golfers signing-up in just four days. Since the official start of the programme in 2021, members have been given a digital ‘Introduction to Golf’ education pack, along with access to monthly golf clinics once a month, as well as an on-course induction for all participants and the chance to play 9-hole round.

In 2020 the Saudi Ladies Team International was launched, part of Golf Saudi’s aim to inspire Saudi women to take up the game.

Let It Fly

Followingonfromthissuccess,GolfSaudiwantedto build on that early traction within its Mass Participation programme, leading to the launch of the Let It Fly campaign at the 2021 Saudi International, powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers. This brand-new concept aims to introduce, entertain and educate Saudis about golf. Golf Saudi CEO, Majed Al Sorour believes that that when Saudi citizens play a sport, if they have fun, it is far more likely that they are going to come back, pursue it and potentially become future golfers. That is exactly what Golf Saudi has set out to achieve with the rollout of Let It Fly.

The campaign has been rolled out across schools, clubs and throughout major cities in Saudi Arabia this year. Through modern and smart equipment, Let It Fly has been adapted to suit the needs and abilities of all age groups and technical abilities. Those that then enjoy and continue with the game can join Golf Saudi’ s elite development programme, becoming future Saudi golfing stars in the process.

Environmental innovation

The team at Golf Saudi has also been working closely with the GEO Foundation this year to ensure that high standards and significant environmental innovation is built into the development and operations of all its events, programmes and facilities. This is a vital element within the Green Agenda. In parallel, there are important new aspects of research and development underway, widely relevant to golf, such as a new venture with Atlas Turf to develop the region ’ s first internationally licensed golf and sports turf farm in Saudi Arabia, distributing some of the world’ s most climatically adapted turf species. With the first sprigs being planted in the first of many locations in August 2021, the Turf Farm will allow each individual golf development to eliminate the requirement to establish project based turf nurseries thereby reducing use of natural resources, fertilizers, chemicals and so on. It is this central thinking that is the main benefit of a national turf farm.

The creation of the turf farm follows key principals for sustainable practice. From site selection to operation, every step is being developed through the lens of sustainable practice and aligned with the National Sustainability Strategy. Ecosystem restoration through golf, harnessing renewable energy, comprehensive water resource management and building circularity into golf’ s supply chain all form the backbone of the world’ s first national golf sustainability programme.

These efforts led Golf Saudi to sign-up the United Nations Sports for Climate Framework, demonstrating the organisation ’ s commitment to sustainability, with announcements that will accelerate action and results across a range of priority environmental and climate issues. All of this is vital if the organisation is to successfully secure the legacy of golf within the Kingdom, protecting the game for future generations.

The growth of the partnerships within the Green Agenda, and with over 20 new facilities currently in various stages of development, all aligned with the National Sustainability Strategy, Golf Saudi’ s need to furnish these facilities with a Saudi national workforce equipped and ready to operate has never been more important. Golf Saudi is at a crucial junction, with the need to educate and train people vital to future success.

So all in all, there is lots going on and there will be even more progress to come in 2022. The future of golf in Saudi Arabia is currently burning very brightly. <