By Roberta Fedele and Fatima Muhammad Saudi GazetteJEDDAH — Saudi Arabia will host a three-day forum in September to explore ways and means of increasing investment in sporting activities, it was announced at a press conference at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) on Monday. Organized by the JCCI, the Saudi Football Federation, Italy's Bc Bendoni Communications Group and Prince Sultan College for Tourism and Business Administration, the forum will take place from September 8 to 10 with the support of Prince Nawaf Bin Faisal, deputy head of the General Presidency for Youth Welfare. “There are more than 400,000 people who play football in Saudi Arabia, but only 10 percent of them are making use of the sports clubs in the country and the rest depend on random facilities,” Eid said while explaining the abundant investment opportunities in the field. Eid said sports clubs in the Kingdom receive generous financial support and technical assistance, but the problem is in the mindset. “We need innovative ideas to support sports clubs and attract solid investments. At present, only five Saudi clubs have sponsors,” Eid said. Tommaso Bendoni of BC Bendoni Communications and Vice Chairman of the JCCI Mazen Batterjee were also present at the press conference to explain the forum's main goals to keep pace with the fast-changing world of sports. “The forum intends to be an annual occasion to provide sports operators with adequate managerial, administrative and legal knowledge concerning the industry, allow them to study successful international football business models and find benefits in terms of media exposure and international connections,” said Eid. Batterjee said the forum will explore ways to generate revenues for the local clubs. “The current situation where the clubs rely heavily on donations could not go on for long,” he said. The organizers came up with the idea of holding the forum to help Saudi clubs overcome their financial difficulties. The event is expected to grab the attention of Saudi and Gulf sports officials and enthusiasts. “Several key guests will attend the forum, including Inter Milan International Ambassador Luis Figo, Coach Fabio Capello, 2006 World Champion and Captain of the Italian National Team Fabio Cannavaro and many others who will make the Jeddah Sports Investment Forum a unique and special moment,” said Bendoni. Bendoni also invited Zinedine Zidane, Paolo Maldini, Marco Van Basten and Patrick Vieira to join the event. UEFA Licensing Manager Andrea Traverso, General Manager of the Serie A League Marco Brunelli and Chairman of the Spanish Federation will be present on the institutions side to share their expertise with Saudi sports operators. “Hosting celebrities and members of important institutions including FIFA, UEFA and various clubs and confederations around the world is essential to have global media exposure, create a useful network and understand how other countries are developing their sports systems. The US model could be for instance a very interesting example to follow for the Arab world,” explained Bendoni. According to Bendoni, Saudi Arabia is one of the most passionate countries about football that may become a major power in this field if its decision-makers are able to perceive the favorable global environment. __
