JUBAIL: Under the auspices of the Shell Company for Global Services, the FC Barcelona Foundation (FFCB) held a 12-week educational program, ‘FutbolNet’, in partnership with the Royal Commission for Jubail (RCJ) to associate the practice of football with the transmission of positive values to young people.

The second version of the program was opened by Mosleh Al-Otaibi, the RCJ’s CEO, and the Shell CEO.

Last year, the FutbolNet program invited the participation of twenty highly qualified coaches to support approximately 300 young Saudis in Jubail. FutbolNet aims to provide fun and happiness to children and create positive changes in their behavior.

Abdul Rahman Al-Shaibani, a 12-year-old student, said of the initiative: “I participated in last year’s program, which improved my physical performance and provided me with a lot of new skills such as cooperation and teamwork, as well as the development of my football skills.”

Coach Turki Al-Saaed, said: “The program provides a great opportunity for youth to participate in team games in order to bring about positive changes in their behavior. It offers a fantastic community service in the area by teaching children important values that they will need in their lives, such as respect and teamwork.”

For his part, the Shell CEO said: “It is a pleasure to see children running, laughing and learning through playing, so Shell intends to continue the educational FutbolNet program, which uses soccer as a tool to promote values among young people through an innovative teaching methodology.”

Moreover, Jordi Cardoner, vice president of the FFCB, vowed to continue to support this initiative, saying: “We are pleased to continue our partnership with Shell Company for the second year in a row in Saudi Arabia, where nearly 300 new youngsters will benefit from the program that will be held in Jubail.”