A quest for legitimacy? An exploratory study of the new meanings of sports and physical activity in contemporary Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The Saudi Arabian Kingdom is currently undergoing significant socio-cultural changes, primarily driven by Vision 2030, a strategic document outlining the nation's future development. This initiative includes efforts to enhance sports participation and physical activity levels across various sectors of the country. This paper represents one of the first attempts to understand the effects of the Vision on domestic sports/physical activities policy through the lens of selected actors in the field. with a special interest in youth sports. Based on extensive fieldwork that took place within the country, including qualitative semi-structured interviews with stakeholders from various organisations within Saudi sports, we identify several key facets seen as crucial enablers or obstacles for the field of sports and physical activities. The individual facets form two main groups – activities of state authorities in Saudi Arabia, specifically the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Sports, and informal practices influenced by broader cultural changes oscillating between the traditional views and contemporary demands. Amongst the identified cultural facets, gender takes a crucial discursive position. As we examine these processes through the lens of concepts of soft power and rightful resistance, we identify formal and informal legitimation practices used by stakeholders to achieve and potentially surpass the goals set by Vision 2030 for the Kingdom's sporting landscape.