Mona Al-Otaibi

100 Volunteers Not Enough!

17 July 2026 - 00:02 | Last updated 17 July 2026 - 00:02

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When I read the news of the cooperation agreement between the Local Organizing Committee for the 2027 Asian Cup and King Abdulaziz University to support hosting sports tournaments, I was struck by its goals that go beyond organizing a sports event to scientific research, innovation, sustainability, and volunteerism. This is the real investment in major events: that their impact lingers after the tournament ends.

But I stopped at one number: '100' volunteers from the university's staff and students. The question that crossed my mind was not about the number itself, but about the idea... If the experiment is successful and beneficial, why not expand? And why should it remain confined to one university, when it could become a national project involving male and female high school students in the western region, with King Abdulaziz University undertaking their recruitment, and other universities following the same approach? Especially since we are not only hosting the Asian Cup, but building a generation that will welcome the world in successive sports events, culminating in the 2034 World Cup. This requires that we start early in shaping individuals, not wait until the tournament date and then search for male and female volunteers.

Today's high school student is tomorrow's university student, and if training starts at this stage, they will reach major tournaments already possessing practical experience in organization, communication, teamwork, leadership, media, hospitality, protocol, and event management. These skills are no less important than any academic course.

I also hope that there will be a volunteer program bearing, for example, the name 'Makers of Championships,' in which education departments in various regions participate, schools compete to prepare the best volunteer teams, and participants receive training programs, accredited volunteer hours, professional certificates, and opportunities to participate in local and international tournaments. Then volunteering will not be just a temporary participation, but a journey to build the national character.

And why not extend the program to competitions in innovation, sports media, translation, design, content creation, and event technologies? Every tournament needs more than players and referees; it needs young minds that manage, innovate, and present the Kingdom's image to the world, especially since the success of any tournament is measured not only by the attendance or the quality of stadiums, but by the number of young people who emerge from it more experienced, more confident, and more prepared for the future.

In conclusion... If today's goal is 100 volunteers, perhaps the real goal worth working for is ten thousand young men and women, each carrying a success story that began with a volunteer opportunity and ended with building a future.