Saudi women footballers set their sights on green goals

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The Greens’ squad are using the plastic bottles they collected at the football stadium to create an art work that will highlight the harm plastic does to the planet. (Supplied photo)
Updated 28 May 2019
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Saudi women footballers set their sights on green goals

  • Eight female players have formed the Greens team to promote environmental causes across the Kingdom
  • The group is led by Rawh Alarfaj, who played football for 12 years

DUBAI: In the natural scheme of things, sports and environment are not easy to combine. But a group of eight Saudi women are attempting just that through their football team, the Greens.

The team’s members want to use their passion for sport to raise environmental awareness and bring about a mindset change across the Kingdom.

The Greens were established by the Saudi Sports for All Federation two months ago — specifically to promote environmental causes. The federation focuses on sports as a social, rather than professional, activity for women, men, adults, children, the elderly and people with special needs.

Leading the Greens is Rawh Alarfaj, 34, who played football for 12 years before deciding to become a coach.

“I am very passionate about sports overall, but my speciality is football and I feel I am good at it,” Alarfaj, who lives in Riyadh, told Arab News. “One of the things that keeps me going is that I am one of the founders of the Challenge Sports Club, which I manage right now.

FASTFACT

 

• The Global Goals World Cup is an alternative sports tournament that creates a community and inspires and engages women from all over the world.

• A one-day football celebration was created for 30 teams in Copenhagen.

• All teams qualify by choosing and creating an action plan on how to work with one of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

“We were focused at first only on football. But from the beginning of 2017, we have also had a basketball team for women in Riyadh.”

“We run programs for everyone in society because our goal is to increase the level of public participation in sports in Saudi Arabia from 13 percent in 2015 to 40 percent by 2030, based on a study we did at the federation,” said Alarfaj.

“Today, we’re at 18 percent. The programs focus on all kinds of sports. Just days ago, in the Danish capital Copenhagen, we took part in the Global Goals World Cup, which promotes causes such as environmental ones.”

The tournament, better known as GGWC, frames the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a sport, with 30 teams worldwide competing to create the kind of world they would like to see. Each team creates an action plan with a particular global goal and strives to achieve it in their own country.

For the Greens, the focus was SDG 15: “Life on Land.” “We thought it would be a good global goal to choose right now because the issue has many sides,” Alarfaj said. “Awareness of the state of the environment is a very important topic now. So we organized a number of campaigns across the Kingdom.”

During a male professional football league game in Riyadh, Greens players distributed reusable bags as they educated the crowds about the benefits of using them instead of plastic bags.

After the event, the team — with the help of a number of young Saudis — cleaned up the stadium. They collected plastic bottles for use in building a “plastic art work” — due for completion in June — which highlights the harm they do to the planet.




The Greens promoted their cause at a football match. (Supplied photo)

The environmental protection campaign was not confined to Riyadh alone. A clean-up drive was undertaken by the Greens at a public park in Alkhobar, in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, while awareness talks were held in Jeddah about how plastic harms marine life.

“These campaigns are really important,” Alarfaj said. “A lot of young people volunteered to help us and it’s something that needs to be a part of the culture.”

Such campaigns gain the team points toward their final tournament score. “Global Goals isn’t just about football,” she said. “It’s about the SDGs and how to achieve them through sports, specifically female football. It’s very good to take part in sports for a cause and to have this culture in Saudi Arabia.”

Having taken part in the GGWC this year, the Greens hope to host the tournament in the Kingdom in a couple of years. “To win, you can’t just go out and play,” Alarfaj said. “You have to organize these campaigns and engage society in the goal you choose.

“Sports is the most peaceful activity which people can use to espouse a cause,” she said. “So I recommend that people get more engaged with sport and use it as a tool to spread awareness about different causes.”

Lujain Kashgari, 28, discovered she loved football when she was only 8 years old. She used to play the sport with her relatives as children. 

As she grew older, so did her passion for the beautiful game. “It’s my favorite hobby and biggest passion today,” said Kashgari, who was originally from Jeddah but lives in Alkhobar at present.

“My mission was to come up with an initiative that engaged the people of Eastern Province and also made a big impact on Life on Land through plastic recycling.”

A lot of young people volunteered to help – it’s something that needs to be a part of the culture.

Greens coach Rawh Alarfaj

To this end, Kashgari asked residents and communities to donate 10,000 plastic bottles to a recycling center. She also targeted children by organizing a fun learning day in the Altamimi public park, while teaching others in schools about the importance of recycling through playing a game.

“What I really liked about the GGWC is that it combines sports with humanities and a good cause,” Kashgari told Arab News. “I have learnt a lot about sustainability and simplicity, while enjoying every moment of the football tournament and scoring three goals. It was an amazing opportunity and an unforgettable experience.”

She said many Saudis lack awareness of ways to implement the specific goal of Life on Land.

“When I read about the Life on Land global goal, especially the concept of the three Rs (recycle, reuse and reduce), and looked around, even at myself, I realized that we might have known about it, but we needed a reminder,” Kashgari said.




their clean-up campaigns have attracted the interest of young Saudi volunteers. (Supplied photo)

“Even when we reached out to recycling centers, we found that they don’t really take plastic bottles unless it’s a massive amount. They don’t support communities or individuals, so I realized it’s very important that we do something about it and give it more attention.”

As a football club, the Greens were able to collect plastic bottles over a period of two weeks to recycle them. It also collaborated with five schools and two sports clubs in Alkhobar to collect 100 tons of plastic bottles, utensils and plates — the minimum required for recycling at the center.

According to Alyah Aboalola, a Greens player from Jeddah, more needs to be done for environmental protection in the Kingdom.

“I was focused more on raising awareness about the sea because local residents in Jeddah are into scuba diving as part of their interest in life under water,” Aboalola, 24, said. “There’s a lot of plastic being thrown into the sea, which affects the quality of marine life and coral life.”

Currently involved full time with a sports academy, Aboalola said she was thrilled as a Greens player to have reached the semifinals in Copenhagen.

“I’d like to do this professionally later on,” she said. “When you take part in sports, you build a community and, through it, we can do more for society. I’d like to always keep sports and environmental
causes connected.”


Saudi leadership approves over SR3bn of Ramadan aid disbursement

Updated 18 March 2025
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Saudi leadership approves over SR3bn of Ramadan aid disbursement

  • Initiative part of government’s efforts to improve quality of life, enhance standard of living

RIYADH: The Saudi leadership has approved the disbursement of over SR3 billion ($800 million) to social security beneficiaries as part of an aid initiative during the holy month of Ramadan.

Under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the scheme will address the needs of beneficiary families and fulfill their requirements during Ramadan, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Over SR3 billion will be given as follows: each breadwinner will receive SR1,000, and each dependent in the household will receive SR500. The funds will be deposited directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries on Tuesday, March 18, the SPA said.

Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmad bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi expressed gratitude to the Saudi leadership for helping to provide citizens with a decent livelihood.

The initiative is part of the Saudi government’s efforts to improve the quality of life and enhance the standard of living for social security beneficiaries, especially during Ramadan, the SPA added.


Nearly 11m iftar meals served at Two Holy Mosques during first half of Ramadan

Updated 18 March 2025
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Nearly 11m iftar meals served at Two Holy Mosques during first half of Ramadan

  • Number iftar meals provided during Ramadan to has increased this year due to growth in the number of Umrah pilgrims at Grand Mosque and Prophet’s Mosque, officials say

MAKKAH: Saudi authorities provided almost 11 million iftar meals to Umrah pilgrims and other worshippers at the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madina during the first half of Ramadan.

The General Authority for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque said on Monday, the 17th day of Ramadan, it has provided 10,822,999 iftar meals and 10,290,000 packets of dates so far during the holy month, which is a time of worship for Muslims during which they fast from sunrise to sunset.

The authority said the number of iftar meals it provides during Ramadan to pilgrims performing Umrah, and other visitors to the mosques, has increased this year due to growth in the number of pilgrims, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The food is served in designated iftar areas at the mosques, in adherence with strict health standards to ensure the safety of worshippers, it added.

In the run-up to the holy month, the authority introduced an online service through which individuals, charitable organizations and endowments could submit requests to donate iftar meals at the Grand Mosque, the SPA added.


Palestinian, Egyptian envoys awarded with King Abdulaziz Sash of the Second Class

Palestinian and Egyptian ambassadors to Saudi Arabia are awarded with the King Abdulaziz Sash of the Second Class on Monday. SPA
Updated 17 March 2025
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Palestinian, Egyptian envoys awarded with King Abdulaziz Sash of the Second Class

  • Basem Al-Agha and Ahmed Farouk Tawfiq were given the awards for their efforts to strengthen relations between their countries and the Kingdom

RIYADH: The Palestinian and Egyptian ambassadors to Saudi Arabia were awarded with the King Abdulaziz Sash of the Second Class on Monday. 

Basem Al-Agha and Ahmed Farouk Tawfiq were given the awards for their efforts to strengthen relations between their countries and the Kingdom, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji awarded the sashes on the directive of King Salman, SPA added. 


Saudi Culinary Arts Academy receives full institutional accreditation

Updated 17 March 2025
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Saudi Culinary Arts Academy receives full institutional accreditation

  • The accreditation follows an agreement signed on March 10 between the academy and the Education and Training Evaluation Commission

RIYADH: The Saudi Culinary Arts Academy (ZADC) was awarded a full institutional accreditation certificate on Sunday, with the support of Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Governor of the Eastern Province.

The recognition was granted during the inauguration ceremony of the academy’s new building on March 16.

The accreditation follows an agreement signed on March 10 between the academy and the Education and Training Evaluation Commission to implement institutional accreditation processes.

The achievement underscored ZADC’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of quality and excellence in culinary education and training.

By equipping national talents with specialized skills, the academy aims to contribute to the growth of Saudi Arabia’s tourism and hospitality sector.

The achievement also aligns with the broader efforts of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission to ensure quality and excellence in education and training institutions across the Kingdom.


Saudi Foreign Ministry hosts Iftar reception for diplomats and international organizations

Updated 17 March 2025
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Saudi Foreign Ministry hosts Iftar reception for diplomats and international organizations

  • Several senior ministry officials attended

RIYADH: Under the patronage of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and in the presence of Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji, the Foreign Ministry hosted a gathering of the heads of diplomatic missions, regional offices, and international organizations accredited to the Kingdom to mark the holy month of Ramadan.

The ministry hosted an iftar reception at its headquarters in Riyadh, and those attending, which included several senior ministry officials, exchanged Ramadan greetings and engaged in cordial discussions, enhancing communication with diplomatic missions in the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported.