Saudi Arabia quadruples physical activity rate to 60% in 7 years, SFA chief says
Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) President and KBW Ventures founder and Chief Executive Officer Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed affirmed that the Kingdom achieved a qualitative shift in enhancing the quality of life and spreading the culture of physical activity across all segments of society. He described investing in a healthy lifestyle and physical activity as a strategic investment that positively reflects the health of individuals and the country's economy in the long term, SPA reports.
Prince Khaled's comments were delivered during his participation in a dialogue session titled "The Impact of Sports on Quality of Life," held as part of the Global Health Exhibition 2025 at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham. The forum is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Health and supported by the Health Sector Transformation Program, a core initiative of Saudi Vision 2030.
He detailed the dramatic increase in physical activity, saying that the percentage of the physically active population in the Kingdom rose from 13% in 2018 to approximately 60% in 2025. He clarified that the definition of "physical activity" includes children exercising for 60 minutes daily and adults for approximately 180 minutes weekly.
He highlighted the successful community initiatives launched by the SFA, most notably the Riyadh Marathon, which annually attracts more than 40,000 participants of various ages. Such initiatives are noted for promoting inclusiveness, seeing participation from children, mothers, and the elderly over age 80. The participation of Saudi women in the marathon has also seen remarkable development, increasing from 3,500 participants in the first years to more than 15,000 participants in the latest edition.
The Global Health Exhibition won the "AEO 2025" award as the best international exhibition in the Middle East and Africa. The event features the participation of more than 2,000 international entities and 500 speakers from 130 countries, offering over 100 dialogue sessions and 110 hours of continuing medical training accredited by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties from October 27 to 30.
Earlier, it was reported surgeons in Saudi Arabia have successfully performed the world’s first fully robotic resection of a brain tumour.
