SURJ and Leejam Join Forces to Transform Saudi Sports

Two of Saudi Arabia’s leading sports and fitness organizations have entered a strategic partnership to drive innovation and growth across the nation’s sports ecosystem.

SURJ Sports Investment and Leejam Sports Company, the operator of the Fitness Time network and a publicly traded company on Tadawul, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at boosting fitness participation and enhancing community engagement.

The MoU, signed by SURJ CEO Danny Townsend and Leejam CEO Abdulelah bin Mohammed Al-Nemr, outlines a shared vision to expand access to world-class fitness experiences, ignite grassroots participation, and foster innovation in wellness and community engagement across the Kingdom.

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Key Areas of Collaboration

The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration across six main pillars:

• Stadia & Fitness Facility Operations: Exploring synergies in managing and developing sports facilities.
  
  
• Co-Investment in Sports Properties: Partnering on new opportunities within sports and fitness initiatives.
  
  
• Sponsorship & Brand Engagement: Leveraging combined resources to promote sports and fitness-related brands.
  
  
• Community Activation & Mass Participation: Launching initiatives to encourage grassroots involvement in sports.
  
  
• Data & Technology: Sharing performance metrics, advancing gym technologies, and integrating digital engagement tools.
  
  
• Content & Media Co-Creation: Producing high-quality fitness content, from short-form videos to live experiences.
  
  

"This partnership reflects a mutual commitment to enhancing participation, performance, and innovation within Saudi Arabia’s sports landscape,” said Townsend.

"From stadiums to digital platforms, this collaboration allows us to bring the power of sport even closer to local communities."

Al-Nemr echoed this sentiment, adding, "This step strengthens Leejam’s role as a driver of Saudi Arabia’s wellness transformation.

By aligning with SURJ, we aim to inspire active lifestyles and contribute significantly to the Kingdom’s socioeconomic goals.

Leveraging our national presence and digital assets can help scale these initiatives across sports disciplines and communities."

Supporting Saudi’s Sports Revolution

The partnership also includes exploring co-investments in sports intellectual property (IP) and leveraging Leejam’s extensive national footprint to host SURJ-led activations.

Together, they plan to co-develop fitness programs designed to increase grassroots participation and expand access to high-quality fitness opportunities across the Kingdom.

Data and technology play a pivotal role in this collaboration. Both organizations aim to share insights on gym performance, enhance training methodologies, and integrate advanced digital tools to boost user engagement.

The agreement also includes the production of innovative fitness content to inspire even more people to participate in sports activities.

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A Fast-Growing Sports Ecosystem

This partnership comes at an exciting time for Saudi Arabia’s sports sector, which has grown rapidly over the last few years.

The percentage of weekly physical activity among Saudis has surged from 13% in 2015 to nearly 50% today.

Additionally, multi-sport clubs have increased from just 9 to 126, and the number of sports federations now stands at 98—a significant increase from past years.

Women’s participation in sports has also seen remarkable milestones, with a 149% increase since 2015 and over 330,000 registered female athletes in the Kingdom.

The partnership between SURJ and Leejam is set to further accelerate these trends, forging a vibrant, inclusive, and dynamic future for Saudi sports.

Source: arabnews

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.