BIOGRAPHY

Adwa AlArifi | Assistant Minister for Sport Affairs, Ministry of Sport

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Adwa AlArifi is the Assistant Minister for Sport Affairs at Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Sport and a Board Member of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee. She oversees various vital initiatives and flagship international events to drive forward the nation's efforts to promote sports and healthy living. 

 

Adwa is a pioneer of women’s football in the Kingdom; she co-founded Saudi Arabia’s first women’s football club in 2007 and launched the Riyadh Women’s Football League in 2008. Adwa became the first female board member of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) in 2018, where she established the Women’s Football Department and oversaw the Saudi Women’s National Futsal team’s bronze medal win at the 2019 GCC Games. Adwa has played a central role in Saudi Arabia’s success in securing major international events, including the FIFA World Cup 2034, AFC Asian Cup 2027, and Asian Games 2034. 

 

She holds significant roles, such as being a Board Member of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, where she sits on the Women’s Committee. She is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Women's Sports Committee. Amongst several board roles, Trojena 2029 Winter Asian Games Committee, AFC2027 Committee, and Saudi Games Committee, and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Mahd Academy, all contributing to the Kingdom’s growing sports sector and global presence.