RIYADH, 16 November — Deputy President of the General Presidency for Youth Welfare (GPYW), Dr. Saleh ibn Nasser, will be chairing the 11th Joint Higher Committee meeting with senior British government officials, together with the sporting committees from the UK and Saudi Arabia, to review activities undertaken as part of the ongoing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on sports between the two countries.
Richard Callicott, Chief Executive of UK Sport is heading the British delegation, which includes Lord Denman, Chairman of the Saudi British Society, together with other leading officials from various sporting organizations. Richard Callicott and Dr. Saleh both agree that the Saudi-British MoU is the most active of their sporting protocols. “Last year produced a record number of activities - and the committee is hoping to report a similar success this year,” commented Callicott.
To be held in Riyadh between Nov. 4-8, the meeting will provide the opportunity to review the wide spectrum of highly successful sporting and cultural activities that have taken place over the last 12 months - and to agree a comprehensive events program for the forthcoming year. Signed in 1987 and coordinated jointly by the British government and BAE SYSTEMS for the UK and the General Presidency for Youth Welfare for Saudi Arabia, the program has continued to grow, and is now benefiting over 500 sportsmen, schoolchildren, coaches and officials annually.
The overall program is wide ranging and the variety of events that took place over the last year included international basketball and volleyball matches, bicycle races, coaching workshops, and special training camps on fencing, table tennis and gymnastics. There was also a youth cultural visit and a media trip to the UK — and MSc degree courses on sports medicine, physiotherapy and nutrition from some of the UK’s leading sports medical professionals. One of the interesting highlights within this year’s MoU schedule was the highly-publicized voyage undertaken by disabled Saudis who worked alongside other disabled and able-bodied crewmembers aboard the tall-ship Lord Nelson as it sailed from Chatham to Portsmouth, on the south coast of England.
“This was possibly one of the more unusual events in this year’s calendar,” highlights Peter Waddell, program coordinator for the MoU “and the program continues to be a valuable vehicle in fostering bonds of friendship and cultural awareness amongst the young sportsmen and coaching bodies in each country.”
“The development of the program over time has been considerable and the MoU’s influence has already ensured that many sportsmen from both countries have started to receive international competitive experience and training,” he added. “Next month’s Annual Committee meeting will also review the events that are to be planned to take place in the future and I look forward to enjoying another busy year.”
BAE SYSTEMS is the name of the new company formed by the November 1999 merger of British Aerospace and Marconi Electronic Systems. The company employs more than 2,700 Saudi nationals in Kingdom and also assists in supporting and promoting a range of activities. These include the MoU for Sport and Youth Welfare between the UK and the Saudi Arabia General Presidency of Youth Welfare.
