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THE Saudi Arabian Youth Hostel Association (SAYHA) runs 25 youth hostels Kingdom-wide. The association is planning to offer more programs catering to a variety of different needs and help achieve its objectives, mainly encouraging youth to widen their knowledge and act as ambassadors of their country abroad, Al-Riyadh daily reports.
Muhammad Al-Kharboosh, SAYHA director, said the association serves Saudis and non-Saudis regardless of their age.
“We encourage the youth to engage in physical activities and all kinds of sports. We also help enhance their talents and explain to them the importance of travel and how it helps enhance the Kingdom’s image. We keep them abreast of important and pressing issues related to the Muslim world, terrorism, online trends, social media websites and others,” he explained.
The association operates under the directives of its President Prince Abdullah Bin Musaed, who always stresses the importance of fostering and developing the talents of youth by engaging them in various activities that serve the interests of society.
Al-Kharboosh said there are two types of hostels: category (A) or VIP can be found in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam; they are equipped with modern furniture and have facilities like sports halls, swimming pools, theaters, workshop rooms, drawing rooms, gardens, billiard rooms and exercise areas. VIP hostel facilities can only be accessed by members who hold VIP cards or sportsmen.
Category (B) hostels are similar to category (A) but can be found inside sports cities and General Presidency of Youth Welfare facilities. They do not have an independent location.
SAYHA has recently organized the Second Forum of Creative Youth, which included sports programs, cultural and entertainment activities and dialogue sessions about the importance of security and embracing a balanced outlook on life.
“We focus on equipping youth with tools that prevent them from adopting deviant thoughts and behavior patterns,” he said.
SAYHA runs Prince Faisal Bin Fahad Youth Hostel in Riyadh, which has drawing rooms for amateur plastic artists and young talented painters. Equipped with all plastic art tools, the hostel gives young talent a chance to showcase their creative sides and even hone their drawing skills.
The hostels also have theaters where youth can develop their acting capabilities and skills and even enroll in courses that focus on acting skills and technical aspects related to presenting a theater show.
