Okaz/Saudi Gazette
RIYADH — The draft Sports Law, approved by the Shoura Council on Monday, aimed at developing the spirit of decent competition, as well as curbing discrimination, abuse, and intolerance. There are provisions in the law to combat banned drugs, as well as to promote international cooperation in the sports fields.
The law also aims to encourage investment in the sports field, with the promotion and attraction of local and international sports investments, enhance transparency and governance procedures in various sports activities and fields, in addition to containing illegal practices.
The Council approved the law after listening to the report of its Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee, which was presented by Nasser Al-Deghaither. The report contained the committee’s viewpoints regarding remarks and opinions expressed by the council members during the deliberations on the draft law.
The law consists of 48 articles that encourage the practicing of sports of all kinds, expand the base of sports practitioners, and regulate the sector, by formulating a regulatory framework that governs sports activity, and sports bodies, in addition to granting licenses to establish sports establishments and facilities for practicing sports activities, and licensing and supervising sports clubs, and settling sports disputes.
In another decision, the Council agreed to amend a number of articles of the draft law for the sale and lease of off-plan real estate projects, which was returned to the Council. The Council took its decision after listening to a report presented by the Hajj, Housing and Services Committee.
The Shoura also discussed a report presented by the Transport, Communications, and Information Technology Committee, regarding the annual report of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority after the committee completed studying the report and made a number of recommendations prior to its discussion in the council.
After presenting the committee’s report and its recommendations for discussion, the Council listened to a number of suggestions and observations made by members of the Council regarding the report. The committee chairman made a request to give it more time to study the opinions put forward by the members and return its point of view to the Council at a later session.
The Council approved a draft administrative agreement between Saudi Arabia, represented by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association regarding the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for the Digital Development Partnership, which aims to better define, understand, articulate, structure, and roll-out the cybersecurity development agenda in a systematic manner.
The Shoura also endorsed a draft memorandum of scientific and educational cooperation between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation in the Republic of Guinea, and a memorandum of understanding in the field of reducing risks and disasters before they occur in the Arab world between the National Center of Meteorology and the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization (ARCO).