Sports Figures Urge Stronger School-University Sports Ties

Oct 28, 2026•2 min read

Sports figures gathered at a forum in Jeddah hosted by the University of Business and Technology have called for closer cooperation among families, schools, universities, sports organizations, and the wider community to identify and develop young athletes across the Kingdom.

The forum, held with the Saudi Universities Sports Federation, focused on talent development, sports management, student health, and university sports participation. Former Saudi Football Federation president Ahmed Eid called for stronger coordination between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Sport, urging greater use of schools and universities as grounds for discovering and nurturing talent.

Building a talent pipeline

Speakers highlighted the growing role of school and university competitions in spotting promising players early. The 2025–2026 Schools League is being expanded in cooperation with the Ministry of Education to increase football participation and identify talented students. The previous 2024–2025 edition involved more than 2,470 schools and around 42,600 players.

With Saudi universities hosting approximately 2 million students, participants said university sports can play a major part in supporting wider participation and preparing athletes for higher levels of competition.

A 2026 workshop in Riyadh also examined integrating sports academies into schools, looking at operating models, regulatory and contractual frameworks, and partnerships with private and international schools.

For families and students, the discussions point to more structured opportunities to take part in sport and to be noticed by coaches and clubs — helping turn school playgrounds and campus fields into early steps toward professional careers.

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