Community Sports Engagement at PSAU

Collaboration with Local Schools

PSAU actively partners with local schools to share its sports facilities and expertise in youth development. One notable example is the “Little Scout” Youth Programme (June 2025) – an on-campus educational sports initiative hosted by the Deanship of Student Affairs (Female Section) for 30 young girls from Khawla Bint Al-Samit Elementary School in Al-Kharj. This programme took the format of a day-long scouting and physical activity camp. Visiting pupils were welcomed with mini scout uniforms and guided by PSAU’s female Rover Scouts through team-building games, confidence exercises, and basic outdoor skills. The aim was to instil values of discipline, cooperation, and responsibility through fun sports and scouting activities. The day concluded with certificates and gifts for the children, reflecting PSAU’s commitment to enriching local youth with practical skills and positive experiences on university grounds. This school partnership not only introduced local students to campus life but also encouraged physical fitness and teamwork, strengthening community ties and inspiring the next generation.

Hosting Community Sporting Events

PSAU opened its athletics venues to high-profile sports competitions in 2024 and 2025, welcoming participants from outside the university and demonstrating a spirit of community inclusion. For instance, Saudi Universities Women’s Volleyball Championship (2024) was hosted at PSAU – the first inter-university women’s sports tournament ever held on its campus. This event took the form of a multi-day volleyball championship under the national University Sports Federation. Female teams from universities across the Kingdom converged at PSAU’s indoor arena to compete at a high level. The tournament provided a platform for over a hundred female athletes and coaches, showcasing PSAU’s support for women’s athletics. PSAU’s own students were deeply involved in organizing and officiating the matches, underscoring the university’s emphasis on inclusive leadership. The championship’s success put PSAU on the map for collegiate sports; it not only aligned with national goals for women’s empowerment in sport but also prompted the university to plan further women’s tournaments and invest in dedicated facilities for female teams. The community impact was significant – local audiences were invited to watch the matches, and the event signified a cultural milestone for Al-Kharj by normalising women’s competitive sports in the region.

Another prominent event was the Inter-University eSports Championship Finals (May 2024), which PSAU proudly hosted in its campus gymnasium. This was a national electronic gaming tournament organised by the Saudi Universities Sports Federation, spanning five days of competition. Nineteen universities sent their top student teams to battle it out in popular eSports titles, transforming PSAU’s facility into a vibrant arena of digital athletics. The Minister of Education’s patronage of the event underscored its importance. Approximately 150 student competitors (both men and women) took part, with dozens of support staff and media attendees, while local spectators – especially youth – were welcomed to experience the excitement. The objective was to foster healthy competition and technical skills in a rapidly growing sports sector (competitive gaming) while promoting camaraderie among Saudi universities. By providing its venue and logistics for this finals series, PSAU encouraged a positive sporting spirit and showcased its modern infrastructure. The outcome was a successful, widely attended championship that enhanced PSAU’s reputation and gave the local community exposure to a new genre of sports entertainment aligned with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 emphasis on youth engagement and digital innovation.

Youth Sports Development Initiatives

Within the university, PSAU has run programmes aimed at developing athletic skills and leadership among its own students, reflecting a broader commitment to youth development that also benefits the community. A key initiative was the Third Female Student Sports Olympiad (2025). This Olympiad was an intra-university multi-sport competition held over several weeks, culminating in a closing ceremony in November 2025. Organised by the Deanship of Student Affairs, it featured female students from various colleges competing in events such as futsal, volleyball, basketball, table tennis, and chess. The format mirrored a mini-Olympics, with tournaments in each sport and an awards ceremony for winners and outstanding participants. The Olympiad’s scope and objective were to promote sports participation among young women at PSAU, improve their physical and mental well-being, and nurture qualities like teamwork and leadership. By actively encouraging female students to engage in athletics, PSAU contributed to their personal development and aligned with national youth and sports strategies (Vision 2030) that emphasise greater inclusion of women in all fields. The outcomes of this annual programme were evident in the enthusiasm on campus: dozens of female athletes honed their skills through regular training, friendly competition flourished between departments, and the winners were celebrated publicly – boosting confidence and setting positive examples. The Olympiad also had a ripple effect beyond campus, as many participants carried forward their interest in sports to community settings, and PSAU’s female teams became better prepared to represent the university in external competitions. Overall, this youth sports programme strengthened a culture of fitness and empowerment that extends to the broader community by normalizing women’s active involvement in sports.

Partnerships and Shared Facilities

PSAU underscored its support for community sports by forging formal partnerships and making its amenities accessible to local organisations. In September 2025, the university signed several cooperation agreements aimed at boosting sports and wellness opportunities for students and the public alike. Notably, PSAU partnered with Al-Kharj Sports Club (a prominent local football club) and with GYM2A, a private sports company. These agreements (signed at a ceremony attended by the Governor of Al-Kharj) set up a framework for shared use of facilities, expertise exchange, and co-sponsored programmes. For example, the understanding with the Al-Kharj Club allows the club to utilise PSAU’s training grounds and stadium for important matches or youth academies, while giving PSAU students chances to intern or train with the club’s professionals. Likewise, the tie-up with the sports company facilitates joint fitness programs and coaching clinics on campus that are open to university members and community youth. The objective of these partnerships is to blend resources and strengths – leveraging PSAU’s modern facilities and the club/company’s sports development experience – in order to support athletic talent and healthy lifestyles in the region. Early outcomes of this collaboration were seen in better attendance at campus sporting events and new community training sessions launched in late 2025, indicating a growing integration of PSAU’s sports infrastructure with local community needs. Such partnerships significantly extend the impact of the university’s facilities beyond campus boundaries, transforming PSAU into a hub for community sports engagement.

In tandem with partnership-building, PSAU has made its sports infrastructure available for public use. A prime example is the university’s 25,000-seat outdoor stadium, which was introduced in 2024 as one of Al-Kharj’s largest sporting venues. Built to international standards, this stadium is not reserved solely for university teams – it was explicitly designed to host local sports clubs’ matches and large community sporting events. By opening this facility to the public, PSAU filled a gap in the region’s sports infrastructure. In 2024–2025, the stadium began accommodating local football fixtures and youth tournaments, allowing community clubs to play in a professional environment with full amenities. This shared-access scheme has widened opportunities for the public: local families can attend club matches on campus, young athletes experience competing in a big stadium, and PSAU benefits from stronger town-and-gown relations. Moreover, PSAU’s upcoming indoor Sports Hall (set for completion by 2025) is equipped with gyms and courts and is intended for joint use – student athletics by day and community sports programmes during evenings or school holidays. By allocating time slots and partnership programs for external groups, the university ensures its state-of-the-art gyms, courts, and fields serve a broader social purpose. The overarching goal is to promote healthy living and social cohesion in Al-Kharj by maximizing the utilization of PSAU’s sports facilities. The impact of this approach is increasingly visible: community sports festivals and “Sports for All” events are being drawn to PSAU’s venue, local school teams have a venue for their sports days, and the general public perceives the campus as an open, welcoming space for recreation and development.

In summary, during 2024 and 2025 Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University has demonstrated a strong commitment to sharing its sports facilities with the wider community. The university has collaborated with local schools to host youth programmes, opened its doors to national-level sports competitions, encouraged student-led sports initiatives, and partnered with clubs to ensure mutual access to resources. These activities have collectively enhanced community engagement, provided platforms for youth development, and reinforced PSAU’s role as a regional hub for sports and wellness.

Summary of Sports Sharing Activities (2024–2025)

Additional details about PSAU's investments in community partnerships, outreach and support are presented in the following sections.