Driving Vision 2030: Mr. Nail Al Dossary on Saudi Arabia’s Sports Transformation
July 22nd, 2025
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Last year at Riyadh Active Industry, we had the privilege of welcoming Mr. Nail Al Dossary, Advisor to the Ministry of Sport, as a guest of honour and featured speaker. With a remarkable career spanning over 26 years across sectors including banking, tourism, telecom, and sports, Mr. Al Dossary brings a rare depth of cross-industry expertise to his role expertise that has helped shape the Kingdom’s ambitious sports development agenda under Vision 2030.
As part of our Industry Insight Series, we sat down with Mr. Al Dossary to delve into how the Ministry is spearheading strategic transformation, accelerating non-oil revenue growth, and driving public-private partnerships across the sector.
With over 26 years of experience across sectors like banking, tourism, telecom, and sports, how have you applied this diverse background to your role as an advisor at the Ministry of Sports?
Cross-sector insights: From banking, I bring financial discipline, risk assessment, and investment evaluation. From tourism, I understand destination marketing and infrastructure development both relevant to sports tourism. Telecom taught me the value of digital transformation and connectivity, which we’re applying in fan engagement and performance analytics. And of course, my sports sector experience grounds everything in sector-specific knowledge.
Strategic alignment: These experiences help me align our sports strategies with broader national development goals, ensuring that investments in sports also drive economic growth, social cohesion, and international positioning.
Stakeholder engagement: Having worked with diverse stakeholder ecosystems in each sector, I’m adept at navigating public-private partnerships, something critical for funding and executing large-scale sports initiatives.
Innovation and adaptability: Exposure to various industries has trained me to think creatively and adapt best practices from one sector to another for example, applying telecom’s data analytics models to sports performance monitoring or using tourism’s event-hosting models for international sports events.
In essence, my diverse background allows me to approach strategic planning not just from a sports perspective, but from a comprehensive, economic, and developmental lens ensuring that our investments are sustainable, impactful, and future-ready.
You've been instrumental in developing the Ministry's non-oil revenue initiatives. Can you share how sports are contributing to Saudi Arabia's economic diversification goals?
Sports have become a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification efforts under Vision 2030, contributing significantly to non-oil revenue growth, job creation, tourism, and global positioning. As someone deeply involved in the Ministry’s non-oil revenue initiatives, I’ve witnessed firsthand how strategic investments in sports are reshaping our economic landscape.
Economic Impact & Revenue Growth
The sports sector's contribution to Saudi Arabia’s GDP is growing rapidly, with revenues projected to reach 22 billion SAR by 2030, up from the current 8 billion SAR. This growth is fuelled by international events, infrastructure development, and increased private sector investment.
Infrastructure & Mega Projects
Flagship projects like the Sports Boulevard in Riyadh are transforming urban spaces into hubs for sports and recreation. The project is significantly enhancing opportunities for physical activity by providing accessible and well-designed spaces that encourage walking, cycling, and outdoor exercise. Similarly, Qiddiya, an entertainment megaproject, is set to become a global destination for sports and leisure, featuring facilities for motorsports, theme parks, and more.
Hosting Global Sporting Events
Saudi Arabia’s commitment to becoming a global sports hub is evident in its successful bids to host major events, including the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Since 2018, more than 130 international sports events have been held in the Kingdom, attended by over 3 million fans, including the Saudi Arabian Formula One Grand Prix, WTA Finals, Italian and Spanish Super Cups, and numerous championship boxing fights. These events not only boost tourism but also stimulate local economies and create job opportunities.
Private Sector Engagement & Job Creation
Efforts to engage the private sector have led to the issuance of over 3,900 licenses for gyms, sports centers, private clubs, academies, and dive centers.
This has been made possible by the launch of the Ministry’s ‘Nafes’ platform, which has streamlined the process of issuing private-sector licenses for sports clubs, academies, and gyms.
Already the sports economy has created more than 22,000 jobs. We aim to create over 130,000 jobs and have over 25% of private sector contribution to the sports GDP by 2030. Initiatives like the Club Investment Platform are encouraging private investments in sports clubs, further stimulating economic growth.
In summary, sports are playing a pivotal role in Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification, aligning with Vision 2030’s goals to reduce oil dependency, foster private sector growth, and position the Kingdom as a global sports and entertainment hub.
What measures are being taken to make the Saudi sports and fitness sector more attractive to private investors, and how is the Ministry facilitating public-private partnerships?
It’s all about our people and in Saudi, sport is all about improving lives. Helping our people get fit, healthy, and active, investing and reinvesting. We have a young population who simply love sport and want to play, connect, and compete. That drives our plans and has been our focus: creating new access and new opportunities across all sports.
And it’s working. Basketball to boxing, padel to pool – all growing every day. We have more sports being played by more people than ever before. We’ve opened academies, clubs, gyms. We’ve drafted new regulations and reforms, created new sports groups and events. We now make it easy for everyone to get involved, especially girls and women.
Participation has increased by 300%, and there has been a 200% increase in sports federations to support grassroots interest. And we are even living longer. That means we have a basis for a sustainable economy. We are creating new growth. When people play, interests grow. They watch, they buy, they attend, and an ecosystem is established.
Can you elaborate on the Ministry's privatisation strategy for the sports and fitness sector and its expected impact on the industry's development in the Kingdom?
Until recently government funded much of Saudi’s sport development. But today we are unlocking government assets and the potential of an entire country. Saudi is one of the most exciting places in world sport. All the ingredients are in place. Progress has been made, but we believe the private sector will accelerate and sustain growth especially for our sports clubs which at the heart of our communities.
To be world-class you need to be world-class off and on the pitch. Through privatization we can enhance competition, create new focus and efficiencies, strengthen governance, and improve the operating model of the clubs.
Already we have eight clubs privatized, and we are bringing in the right partners to realize our potential and meet new demand at speed. With the Nafes platform, the whole journey to setting up a business has been reduced and is now possible within a single day. Process is online to accelerate the process. Incentives are possible. The market is ready.
How does the Ministry's strategic planning align with Vision 2030 objectives, particularly in promoting sports as a means of improving quality of life and economic development?
The Ministry’s strategic planning is deeply rooted in the goals of Vision 2030, which views sports not just as entertainment or competition, but as a critical lever for both social transformation and economic diversification. We’ve aligned our strategy around three main pillars: improving quality of life, boosting economic contribution, and enhancing global presence.
Enhancing Quality of Life
Vision 2030 emphasizes the importance of a vibrant society, and sports are central to that. Our initiatives aim to increase mass participation in physical activity, which contributes to better public health, social cohesion, and overall well-being.
Through initiatives like the “Quality of Life Program” and “Sports For All”, we’re expanding access to sports facilities, promoting active lifestyles, and investing in community clubs and grassroots programs.
We’ve already seen measurable impact: the percentage of Saudis engaging in weekly physical activity rose from 14% in 2017 to over 58% by 2024.
Driving Economic Development
From a strategic investment perspective, sports serve as a high-growth, high-impact sector. We’ve prioritized projects and partnerships that catalyse job creation, attract private capital, and stimulate tourism.
The development of large-scale infrastructure like Qiddiya, the Sports Boulevard, and new stadiums, has created thousands of jobs and encouraged local business growth.
Hosting global events such as Formula 1, Formula E, heavyweight boxing matches, and the upcoming 2034 FIFA World Cup enhances international perception and drives tourism-related revenue.
Private Sector & Investment Strategy
We are increasingly using a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, enabling sustainable funding and reducing reliance on public spending.
The privatization of sports clubs and creation of regulatory frameworks have opened the sector to significant domestic and foreign investment.
Institutional Alignment & Governance
Our planning process is tightly coordinated with other Vision 2030 entities like the Quality of Life Program Center and the Ministry of Economy and Planning. This ensures every initiative contributes to broader national targets, whether in health, GDP growth, or youth empowerment.
In essence, strategic planning at the Ministry is not just about developing the sports sector, but about using sports as a dynamic tool to improve lives, stimulate the economy, and present Saudi Arabia as a forward-looking, globally engaged nation, perfectly aligned with the ambitions of Vision 2030.
Looking ahead, what are the key priorities for the Ministry in terms of strategic planning and investment to further develop the sports sector in Saudi Arabia?
The Ministry’s strategic planning and investment priorities are focused on deepening the impact of sports across five core areas: infrastructure, talent development, economic diversification, international positioning, and digital transformation. Each of these aligns with Vision 2030 and is aimed at building a globally competitive and sustainable sports ecosystem.
As Saudi Arabia accelerates investment in its sports and wellness economy, how do you view the role of platforms like Riyadh Active Industry in supporting the Ministry’s strategic goals, from industry engagement to attracting investment and showcasing Vision 2030 in action?
Platforms like Riyadh Active Industry play a vital role in translating the Ministry’s strategic objectives into action. As Saudi Arabia accelerates investment in its sports and wellness economy, these platforms serve as catalysts for industry engagement, investment attraction, and international collaboration, three pillars critical to achieving Vision 2030.
We are honoured to be supported by the Ministry of Sport for Riyadh Active Industry 2026. As Saudi Arabia continues its journey toward becoming a global hub for sport, wellness, and active living, we are proud to contribute to the dialogue, collaboration, and investment that will shape the future of the Kingdom’s fitness economy.