From training to impact: the Saudi women championing the Olympic values
Female educators in Saudi Arabia are using the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) to promote excellence, respect and friendship through sport. To mark International Women’s Month, we highlight the growing impact of their work.
Key facts
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In 2025, 20 OVEP workshops were delivered across Saudi Arabia, reaching more than 1,400 young people nationwide.
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A particularly significant milestone was achieved in AlUla, where an OVEP workshop saw women represent 40 per cent of participants.
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This progress was noted by Albatool Baroom, Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Olympic Academy. She said that “Saudi women have shown inspiring leadership in bringing OVEP to life across their communities.”
In 2025 alone, the Saudi Olympic Academy and its partners, including the Saudi Sports for All Federation, the Ministry of Education and the Royal Commission for AlUla, delivered 20 OVEP workshops, seminars and community activations. A total of 40 OVEP trainers and facilitators were certified, and more than 1,400 children and young people were reached.
For Albatool Baroom, Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Olympic Academy, women have taken leading roles in those developments, demonstrating how sport can serve as a powerful tool for community engagement and empowerment.
Saudi women have shown inspiring leadership in bringing OVEP to life across their communities. Their initiatives have reached a wide range of audiences and helped create spaces where sport supports inclusion, learning and empowerment. Their efforts show genuine passion for using sport as a tool for impact.
Cascading empowerment
A key milestone came in April 2025, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Saudi Olympic Academy organised an OVEP “Train-the-Trainer” programme in AlUla. The two-day workshop brought together 40 participants, including 16 women – marking an important step in strengthening women’s participation in new regions of Saudi Arabia.
For the participants, the workshop offered both practical learnings and a platform to develop their leadership skills, especially in the context of sport and education.
“We benefitted from learning about the Olympic values, their principles and foundations, and how to activate and promote them within the community,” said Areej Al-Balawi, one of the participants. “From the beginning, we’ve seen strong engagement. It’s truly an enjoyable and beautiful experience.”
From training to action
The lessons learned from the training session were swiftly put into action. After the session, the women formed a group of OVEP ambassadors, going on to deliver five initiatives that all promote the Olympic values among girls with disabilities, children, mothers and the wider community segments – under the support and supervision of the Royal Commission for AlUla team.
Sports such as archery, basketball and fencing have been introduced into educational settings to promote fair play, respect and teamwork, while community activities have encouraged families to engage with the messages.
In many cases, the initiatives were also designed to reflect local traditions and social contexts, linking the Olympic values with Islamic principles and local culture so that the messages resonated more deeply within the community.
A catalyst for personal development
Implementing the projects has also strengthened the women’s own leadership skills. Participants shared responsibilities across programme design, promotion, logistics, reporting and on-ground implementation, gaining practical experience while leading activities.
Several participants have since taken on new roles within their local sports ecosystems. Three women were recruited to manage the Neighbourhood Club in AlUla, a sports centre operated by the Saudi Sport for All Federation, where they now oversee programmes designed to increase sports participation.
“I believe that the Olympic values have great meaning and a positive impact not only on athletes, but also on us in our daily lives,” says Asmaa Odeh Al-Juhani, one of the course participants, who now form part of Saudi Arabia’s new generation of female OVEP trainers. “They help us understand how to compete with honour, respect others no matter our differences, and strive for excellence.”
About the Olympic Values Education Programme
OVEP consists of a series of free and easily accessible teaching resources that complement school curricula using the context of Olympic sports and the Fundamental Principles of Olympism. OVEP communicates the long-term benefits of sport and physical activity through an understanding of Olympism and its impact on individual health, enjoyment and social interaction. For more information, visit the programme’s website.