Sami Al-Mughamsi

Prince Saud bin Nahar Tackles Dates and Sports in Madinah

July 13, 2026 - 00:05 | Last update July 13, 2026 - 00:05

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I had the honor of greeting His Highness the Deputy Governor of Madinah Region, Prince Saud bin Nahar, on one occasion at the Emirate Palace, a council that always represents a gathering for good, where officials speak with full transparency and ease.

During His Highness's weekly meeting with the people of Madinah, he spoke with utmost clarity and transparency about two vital issues: the first concerns Madinah dates, which are a historical legacy, a blessed food, and a major economic value linked to the sentiments of millions of Muslims worldwide. However, this vital sector today faces a set of challenges and problems that affect its gains and limit its competitiveness in local and international markets, despite the unlimited support enjoyed by our agricultural and economic system.

Protecting, developing, and regulating this sector is not just an economic option, but a national duty to ensure that the date palms of Madinah remain productive, towering, and a source of pride for future generations.

As for the second issue, it is the sports sector, which remains below the required and hoped-for level, especially since the clubs Uhud and Al-Ansar have ended up in the Third Division League after years full of achievements. Ambitions were high to reach the furthest point, but intruders brought down these two entities incredibly. Even now, sports fans in the region have not come to terms with their presence in the Third Division, hoping for the best from the current administrations that are working hard to return, at least, to their former glory.

His Highness the Deputy Governor confirmed that these two files are of great interest to the Governor of Madinah Region, Prince Salman bin Sultan, and God willing, there will be radical solutions for them. For the first file, work will be done to address date marketing issues and find solutions to give farmers their rights. For the second file, sports in Madinah will witness steps that restore it to its natural and proper position.

While football in the region suffers, various other sports, especially basketball in Madinah (which is historically the stronghold of the game in the Kingdom), must receive utmost care. The decline in interest in basketball teams and the impact on their budgets is a waste of a great sports heritage and championships that raised the region's name high.

The truth is that the main problem facing sports in the region today is not a scarcity of talent; the city has always been a mine of players and stars in various sports. Rather, the gap lies in the administrative and investment aspects.

With the application of strict governance standards by the Ministry of Sports, it has become clear that the traditional work based on 'honorary members' and individual solutions is no longer effective. Today, clubs are in dire need of administrative and institutional thinking that keeps pace with current financial efficiency and privatization standards, attracts capital, and creates an environment attractive to investors and major companies from inside and outside the region to invest in club infrastructure, develop youth teams, and make real investments in football and various sports academies to ensure a flow of talent and reduce the costs of external recruitment.

Madinah, with its history, status, and sports fans, deserves to be at the forefront of the Kingdom's sports scene. Achieving that is not impossible; it requires a mindset that keeps pace with the present and looks to the future. I sensed in His Highness's speech and looks a bright future for the dates sector and sports in Madinah.