Saudi clubs to be privatised

Saudi authorities seek to promote youth sports Riyadh - Abdul Aziz Al Dosari Saudi Minister for Youth Welfare, Prince Nawaf bin Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdul Aziz outlined the allocation of funding for sports clubs in Saudi Arabia after discussions with the his sports assistant Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed in Riyadh on Tuesday. Prince Nawaf told reporters that the department had authorised the privatisation of 14 percent of the sports clubs in the country, with plans to promote a range of sports. The minister had authorised Prince Abdullah and his departmental officials to put together a report about the state of sporting facilities in the kingdom. "The team has done a complete and comprehensive study of how to implement the privatisation model. I would like to thank them for their efforts," he said. The government official predicted that the move would provide fresh impetus for private sports clubs and provide them with realistic targets in their bid to put Saudi Arabia back on global sporting map. "The study would be reviewed by the relevant government agencies in the next three weeks, before it is submitted to the Council of Ministers and the Supreme Council," Prince Nawaf stated. Head of the project, Prince Abdullah briefly explained that the government is keen to create a fund  that would allow spending on various sports. "Ten percent of this fund will come from current or future television broadcasts, and 20 percent from the fees imposed on any club that exceeds the upper limit of salaries." he said. The Saudi government official urged youth clubs to keep an eye on young sporting talent and strengthen their academies.