Saudi Handball Team Intensifies World Championship Preparations
The team seeks to compete strongly against international teams and demonstrate the development of handball in the Kingdom.
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Music sensation Tom Grennan says 2025 Esports World Cup left him ‘totally gobsmacked'
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Arab News
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- Arab News
Surj and Leejam partner to drive growth across Saudi's sports sector
RIYADH: Two of the Kingdom's leading sports and fitness businesses have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate growth and innovation across the sports ecosystem, particularly in fitness and community engagement. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport SURJ Sports Investment has partnered with Leejam Sports Company, owner-operator of the Fitness Time network of sports and fitness centers and a publicly listed company on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul). The MoU was signed by Danny Townsend, CEO of SURJ Sports Investment, and Abdulelah bin Mohammed Al-Nemr, CEO of Leejam Sports Company. It reflects a shared ambition to increase sports participation, scale innovation and expand access to world-class fitness experiences, as well activate new models of community engagement and wellness innovation. The agreement outlines a broad framework for collaboration across six key areas: stadia and fitness facility operations; co-investment in sports properties; sponsorship and brand engagement; community activation and mass participation; data and technology integration; and co-creation of content and media production. 'Leejam's scale and expertise in fitness and wellness make them a natural partner as we continue to grow Saudi Arabia's sports ecosystem,' said Townsend. 'This MoU reflects our shared commitment to participation, performance and innovation, and to unlocking opportunities that go beyond traditional investment models. From stadiums to digital assets, and from community challenges to elite content, we're excited to explore how we can bring the power of sport closer to more people across the country.' Al-Nemr added: 'This MoU marks a pivotal step in Leejam's journey to further solidify our role as a catalyst for Saudi's wellness transformation. Partnering with SURJ aligns with our strategic vision to foster active lifestyles, deliver value for shareholders, and contribute meaningfully to the Kingdom's socioeconomic goals. We look forward to harnessing our national footprint and digital platforms to scale this collaboration across communities and sports disciplines.' The MoU also covers exploratory co-investment models in sports IP, as well as leveraging Leejam's national footprint to scale SURJ-led activations and co-host fitness initiatives to promote grassroots participation in SURJ priority sports. A core pillar of the partnership includes data and technology collaboration, enabling both sides to share insights on performance metrics, gym technologies and digital engagement tools, as well as co-development of short-form and live fitness content across platforms. This announcement comes at a time of rapid progress for Saudi Arabia's sports sector. Almost 50 percent of Saudis are now engaged in weekly physical activity, up from just 13 percent in 2015, while the number of multi-sport clubs has surged from 9 to 126. Sports federations have tripled to 98. Women's participation in sport in Saudi Arabia has also seen extraordinary growth, with a 149 percent increase since 2015 and more than 330,000 registered female athletes.
