RAK Ceramics, one of the largest ceramics brands in the world, unveiled its new main sponsorship deal with Emirates Club, the Ras Al Khaimah-based UAE football club. The announcement follows hot on the heels of the recent signing of the Spanish football legend Andres Iniesta by the club.In the upcoming ADNOC UAE Pro League, RAK Ceramics will play a pivotal role in elevating the club's new venture on the global stage as the most renowned brand from the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. Providing further support, RAK Ceramics aims to highlight the new chapter in the illustrious career of one of football's all-time greatest midfielders, Andres Iniesta.Iniesta's track record includes nine LaLiga titles, four Champions League triumphs with Barcelona, and the unforgettable World Cup-winning goal for the Spanish National team. His move to Emirates Club further ups the tempo in the UAE Pro League amid an upsurge in international football talent acquisition across the region, and will make for an exhilarating season.Iniesta and his Emirates Club team members proudly donned their RAK Ceramics-sponsored jerseys during their recent ADNOC Pro League match, with their next match set for Friday, 25 August.  Abdallah Massaad, Group CEO of RAK Ceramics commented on the partnership: “Football is more than a game; it's a global language that resonates with billions. Our partnership with Emirates Club, particularly during this vibrant phase of their journey, confirms RAK Ceramics' commitment to promoting the talent, enhancing the country’s excellence and taking up new challenges every day. As we embark on this exciting venture, we look forward to celebrating shared victories both on and off the pitch.”Yousef Abdullah Al Batran, Chairman of Emirates Club, said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with a renowned brand like RAK Ceramics. Their commitment to excellence mirrors our ambition on the pitch. With the arrival of a football legend like Iniesta, this partnership couldn't have come at a better time. The future looks bright for Emirates Club as we chart a path towards a new era of success for the team.”

Marking a key moment in sporting history for Saudi Arabia, today the Kingdom has submitted its bid to host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™.A football nation, with a deep-rooted passion for the game, Saudi Arabia’s move to bid for the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ builds on its expression of interest earlier this year and exemplifies the nation’s efforts to unlock untapped potential and opportunities for women and girls across Asia. In the event of a successful bid to host the competition, Saudi Arabia will play a vital role in advancing women’s leadership in sport at home and abroad.The AFC representatives welcomed the SAFF delegation commissioned to deliver the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 bidding documents today at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was represented by Dona Rajab, the first assistant coach of the Saudi Arabian women’s national football team, Raghad Helmi, a professional player and a member of the Saudi Arabian national team and Al Shabab Club, and Marya Baghaffar, the youngest of the delegates at 14 years of age is a youth player training at the Regional Training Center. The regional training centers are considered one of SAFF’s important channels to develop talented youth and promote women’s participation.Mr. Yasser Almisehal, President of SAFF, commented: "The future of women's football in Saudi Arabia is bright and we are committed to growing the game here and throughout Asia. More and more young girls are playing football in this country and we want to inspire them further. Hosting the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026TM would be a great occasion for our players and would be made memorable by the passion of our fans."Monika Staab, manager of the Saudi Arabian women’s national team, added: “This is an opportunity to bring the tournament to life, inspire a generation, and turbo-charge the continued growth of women’s football. We see this as a chance to improve technical performance and show the world our homegrown talent.”Saudi Arabia has embraced transformation at pace, and growing women’s leadership in sport is a crucial element. In the last three years, there has been significant investment in grassroots player development, competitions, coaching and more, including establishing the first women’s national team last year, followed by the inaugural women’s football league and girls’ school league.As an emerging women’s football market, the Kingdom is set to experience an outsized impact in developing the game through bidding to host the event. Extending an invitation to the region and the world to witness its development, experience its welcoming society, culture and heritage, creates a platform to bring the best female footballers from Asia, showcase their skills, and inspire women and girls to become the next generation of players.

The Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) has underlined its commitment to advancing sports diplomacy and leveraging the unifying power of sports to create a brighter future for all. Representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the Peace and Sport International Forum 2022 in Monaco — an event launched to generate concrete solutions and forge impactful partnerships that make the most of sport as a lever for peace — the Federation took another important step towards accomplishing its goal of empowering more people and communities to lead healthier, happier, more productive lives.Joining some of the world’s foremost experts, leaders, and sports stars to address pressing global challenges, SFA — acting as an ambassador for the Kingdom and flagbearer of regional sports excellence — showcased its work to transform Saudi Arabia into a world-class sports hub. The Federation called on the international community to come together through the development of an inclusive and united global sports culture to effect lasting change and innovate sustainable solutions to persistent issues.A unique platform for meaningful dialogue, the exchange of ideas and the promotion of good practices, the Peace and Sport International Forum provides a timely opportunity for changemakers from around the world to explore how they can safeguard the future.This year’s event — which took place from 30 November to 1 December — marked a major milestone for SFA, with the Federation signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Peace and Sport at the forum. The agreement aims to enhance cooperation between the two parties in supporting community sports initiatives and empowering Saudi people in the sports sector.The MoU was signed by SFA President HRH Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud and the President and Founder of Peace and Sport, Joël Bouzou. It will help to enhance SFA's drive — with the support of the Ministry of Sport and the Quality of Life Program — to build a healthy and active society through joint programs and bilateral campaigns.As part of the agreement, SFA will collaborate with Peace and Sport — a neutral and independent worldwide organization that uses sport and its values as an instrument for peace — to host a diversity of sports programs in the Kingdom. Together, they will create a range of initiatives that support the ongoing growth and development of the Saudi sports community, while promoting global peace and cooperation.The MoU forms part of the initiatives that SFA is pioneering to achieve the Vision 2030 and Quality of Life Program objectives of increasing physical activity levels in the Kingdom by 2030. In line with this commitment, HRH Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, and SFA Managing Director, Shaima Saleh Al-Husseini, attended a range of meetings to facilitate productive long-term collaborations between SFA and Peace and Sport. This included an audience with H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco, as well as sit-downs with Peace and Sport President and Founder Joël Bouzou and CEO Jean-Jérôme Perrin-Mortier.Shaima Saleh Al-Husseini, the SFA MD, was also speaker at the forum, taking part in a session entitled “Sport as a vector for gender equality”. During the talk, she emphasized the importance of increasing women’s participation in sport-based programs, sport competitions and sport-related occupations, reiterating that empowering girls and women is instrumental to social development and building inclusive societies.  SFA President, HRH Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, said: “This agreement reflects our common goals and values?? to use sport as a major tool to promote peace. Sport is the most vital tool in enhancing communications between nations and people. Based on this vision, we look forward to cooperating with Peace and Sport to launch successful community sports initiatives and build the local capacity across different fields related to community sports and contribute to an active healthy nation.”Joël Bouzou, President and Founder, of Peace and Sport, said: “We are pleased to be working with SFA to bolster Saudi Arabia’s sports infrastructure and enhance its already thriving sports culture. This cooperation will help launch several new and innovative sports programs: first-of-their-kind offerings that will transform communities and change lives for the better. SFA has already proven its ability to host many large events that have gained wide popularity in the Kingdom and around the world. We look forward to helping SFA achieve even more game-changing feats, empowering people to build more inclusive and peaceful societies.”As the main body responsible for developing community sports and raising physical activity levels in Saudi Arabia, SFA proactively engages in and promotes international dialogue to enhance sports in the Kingdom. Over the course of the past year, the Federation has participated and played a leading role in events and gatherings such as 9th International Society for Physical Activity and Health Congress in Abu Dhabi, the 2022 Misk Global Forum, Sports Industry Forum Abu Dhabi 2022, and the 27th TAFISA World Congress.

With more and more viewers seeking out live and on-demand digital content than ever before, the BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon 2022 has beaten the 30.5m stream record set in 2021, making it the most streamed Wimbledon ever. In addition, the volume of hours consumed by audiences on TV was the highest since the 2016 Championships which saw Andy Murray lift the Men’s singles title.On BBC One, the Wimbledon Men’s Final also achieved a very high peak audience of 7.5m. The match was also streamed live 2.6m times on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online.The match received a peak share of 43% as viewers watched Novak Djokovic face Nick Kyrgios, with Djokovic walking away victorious.The Wimbledon Women’s Final on Saturday achieved an impressive peak of 3.1m, which saw Elena Rybakina triumph over Ons Jabeur. It was streamed 712,000 times on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online.Across the whole Championships 25.5m people have watched Wimbledon 2022 on BBC TV.Director of Sport, Barbara Slater, says: “We are enormously proud to bring extensive coverage of Wimbledon to our audiences, who this year have devoured every moment across all our platforms with these record breaking figures. It’s been another electrifying Championship and we are delighted that we can offer audiences different ways to follow the action and to meet the ever increasing appetite for on demand viewing.”