Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 18 February 2024 – The Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) is thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with the Middle East arm of renowned Japanese sportswear brand ASICS. A signing ceremony for this exciting collaboration took place at the SFA headquarters in Riyadh, with representatives from both organizations present, including Shaima Saleh Al-Husseini, SFA Managing Director, and Seiji Hori, General Manager of ASICS Arabia, who both signed the agreement.
 
ASICS Arabia will serve as a strategic partner for two SFA events and will play a prominent role as a key sponsor of the highly successful Riyadh Marathon. The partnership follows the visit of SFA members to Japan, where they engaged with various sports organizations, meeting representatives of ASICS at its international headquarters, and experiencing innovative technologies at the ASICS Institute of Sports Science. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the two parties, laying the groundwork for future collaborations.
 
The Riyadh Marathon takes place annually every February and will now include ASICS as an official sportwear brand - all participants will receive an ASICS performance running top designed with latest Japanese technology in mind, as well as recycled materials, highlighting the brand’s ongoing sustainability drive. Other SFA events and campaigns, at national and community levels, are scheduled throughout the year.
 
Shaima Saleh Al-Husseini, SFA Managing Director, said: “The SFA is honored to collaborate with ASICS Arabia as a strategic partner. This collaboration marks the beginning of a dynamic relationship aimed at building key events and supporting different sports initiatives. We believe this partnership will not only take our events to the next level but continue to position Saudi Arabia as a global sporting destination.”
 
Seiji Hori, General Manager of ASICS Arabia, said: “ASICS Arabia is proud to collaborate with the SFA as a strategic partner. We see this as the beginning of a dynamic partnership, helping to build key events and support different sports initiatives. This collaboration will not only develop physical and mental well-being in the Kingdom but encourage everyone to become a Lifetime Athlete, in line with our company’s Sound Mind Sound Body philosophy.”
 
Mandated by the Ministry of Sport as part of the Vision 2030 Quality of Life program, the SFA is dedicated to increasing the percentage of individuals engaged in physical activity by 60% for the elderly and 20% for youth. The agreement with ASICS Arabia aligns with the SFA’s mission to develop partnerships, discover best practices, and contribute to the realization of Vision 2030 objectives.
 
Since its inception in 2018, the SFA has spearheaded many innovative sporting initiatives, significantly increasing public participation and raising awareness about the positive impact of sports on physical and mental well-being.