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JEDDAH: ������Ƶ’s rowing team returned from the 2025 Asian Coastal (Beach Sprint) Rowing Championships with a haul of four medals, marking one of the Kingdom’s strongest international performances to date.

The championships, staged earlier this month on Jomtien Beach in Pattaya, Thailand, brought together elite competitors from 13 nations, including rowing powerhouses China, Japan, Korea, the UAE and Kuwait.

Despite the stiff competition, the Saudi contingent delivered a performance that underlined the growing strength of the sport in the Kingdom.

Among the highlights was a silver medal for rising talent Mofleh Al-Khalidi, who produced a superb display in the Junior Men’s Singles event.

Al-Khalidi also partnered with Abdullah Al-Mami in the Junior Men’s Doubles, where the duo battled through the heats to claim bronze.

In the senior categories, Moayad Al-Rashidi secured a bronze medal in the Men’s Singles, while the mixed pairing of Haya Al-Mami and Turki Al-Aref added further success with a bronze in the Mixed Doubles.

The Saudi team, which included athletes Abdullah Al-Hay, Radaan Al-Dossari and Al-Jazi Al-Ibrahim, was guided by a technical and administrative coaching staff led by head coach Matthew Tarrant, alongside Fernando Ferraz and Humood Al-Shammari.

Saudi Rowing Federation Vice President Sherine Abu Al-Hassan and Executive Director Yousef Jleidan provided support throughout the competition, with officials noting the impact of their presence in lifting the squad’s morale.

In a statement, the federation hailed the results as a milestone, describing it as evidence of the sport’s rapid development across the Kingdom.

The federation said that it would continue working to nurture a new generation of athletes capable of competing at the highest continental and international levels.

RIYADH: Two of the Kingdom’s leading sports and fitness businesses have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate growth and innovation across the sports ecosystem, particularly in fitness and community engagement.

SURJ Sports Investment has partnered with Leejam Sports Company, owner-operator of the Fitness Time network of sports and fitness centers and a publicly listed company on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul).

The MoU was signed by Danny Townsend, CEO of SURJ Sports Investment, and Abdulelah bin Mohammed Al-Nemr, CEO of Leejam Sports Company. It reflects a shared ambition to increase sports participation, scale innovation and expand access to world-class fitness experiences, as well activate new models of community engagement and wellness innovation.

The agreement outlines a broad framework for collaboration across six key areas: stadia and fitness facility operations; co-investment in sports properties; sponsorship and brand engagement; community activation and mass participation; data and technology integration; and co-creation of content and media production.

“Leejam’s scale and expertise in fitness and wellness make them a natural partner as we continue to grow ������Ƶ’s sports ecosystem,” said Townsend. “This MoU reflects our shared commitment to participation, performance and innovation, and to unlocking opportunities that go beyond traditional investment models. From stadiums to digital assets, and from community challenges to elite content, we’re excited to explore how we can bring the power of sport closer to more people across the country.”

Al-Nemr added: “This MoU marks a pivotal step in Leejam’s journey to further solidify our role as a catalyst for Saudi’s wellness transformation. Partnering with SURJ aligns with our strategic vision to foster active lifestyles, deliver value for shareholders, and contribute meaningfully to the Kingdom’s socioeconomic goals. We look forward to harnessing our national footprint and digital platforms to scale this collaboration across communities and sports disciplines.”

The MoU also covers exploratory co-investment models in sports IP, as well as leveraging Leejam’s national footprint to scale SURJ-led activations and co-host fitness initiatives to promote grassroots participation in SURJ priority sports.

A core pillar of the partnership includes data and technology collaboration, enabling both sides to share insights on performance metrics, gym technologies and digital engagement tools, as well as co-development of short-form and live fitness content across platforms.

This announcement comes at a time of rapid progress for ������Ƶ’s sports sector. Almost 50 percent of Saudis are now engaged in weekly physical activity, up from just 13 percent in 2015, while the number of multi-sport clubs has surged from 9 to 126. Sports federations have tripled to 98.

Women’s participation in sport in ������Ƶ has also seen extraordinary growth, with a 149 percent increase since 2015 and more than 330,000 registered female athletes.