Princess Reema Bint Bandar Bin Sultan
We’re all guilty of skipping the gym, but Princess Reema Bint Bandar Bin Sultan wants more women in sports. The Saudi royal is the vice president of Women’s Affairs in the General Authority of Sports, so she’s made it her job to get you in the gym.
Studies have shown that leaders of industries tend to play sports, which can improve teamwork and coordination – so maybe reconsider spending the weekend on the couch. With increasing obesity-related illnesses in Saudi Arabia, having more women in sports is also beneficial to overall health. To be fair, most of us could do with some more exercise.
Sports are important for women, but there are other reasons to make them more inclusive. Princess Reema says having women in sports is good for the country, and could create 250,000 jobs. “It’s time to include women in sports for a healthier society and a productive economy,” she said at the 2016 MiSK Global Forum.
In her role with the General Authority of Sports, she tries to get entrepreneurs to invest in the industry. You might think that sports isn’t such a lucrative field, but think of everything involved in sports – the clothes athletes wear, the gyms in which they train, the crowds that will travel to see them play and even the reporters who cover sports.
Of course, that would mean training women to compete on a high level – not your average 30 minutes on the elliptical. Princess Reema thinks this will promote unity, but also understands that the facilities to train young athletes aren’t available yet.
