(MENAFN - Arab News) Prince Faisal bin Abdullah considers the emergence of a national strategy for the development of school sports an achievement of the dream he had when he became minister.
The minister of education made the remark while addressing the concluding session on the draft national school sports strategy under the title "The Partners Meet," which was held in Riyadh yesterday in the presence of Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, a number of officials from the ministries and the General Presidency for Youth Welfare.
The prince said that consultation with partners was a good thing and that women had the same right as men to live within the Saudi concepts and values. He added: "We look forward to a school sports union soon."
The education minister talked about the partnership with the private sector and individuals and called for the cooperation of all segments of society to build a future for their children.
For his part, Health Minister Al-Rabeeah said his ministry is a permanent partner of the Ministry of Education, as the output is closely linked to the Ministry of Health in several aspects. He expressed his belief that physical health was represented at school sports, pointing out that this concept had led to the restructuring of the Ministry of Health and the establishment of an agency under the name "Public Health Agency," concerned with changing lifestyles related to food and physical activity and getting rid of habits that affect health negatively.
He said his ministry would be a partner in implementing the national school sports strategy by checking the modern concept of public health, school health and physical exercise, which are reflected on the generations coming, not only in their bodies but also in their minds.
He added that the preparation committee of the strategy had spent nearly a year in search of qualified entities to build the strategy. Finally, a Spanish company had been chosen, and they have been working on the strategy for eight months. This meeting, he continued, represented the future of the nation.
According to Al-Rabeeah, the faith of the people and their participation in the strategy was what would lead to its success. "We hope to convince everyone that the strategy will be managed carefully."
The press conference following the workshop was attended by a number of experts and executives from the ministries and institutions concerned as well as representatives from the private sector. In a brainstorming session, they contributed to the development of ideas and visions of the strategy and the means and methods of application on the ground.
