RIYADH: Saudi women’s participation in sports has increased 149 percent in the past five years, Sports Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said during a virtual symposium organized by the London Business School Alumni Association in Riyadh. He added that Saudi sports play an important role in achieving Vision 2030, namely in terms of diversifying the economy and building a vibrant society. This, he said, is evident in the achievements of the Kingdom’s sports sector in the past few years, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Twenty-two women’s national teams in official regional championships in various sports have been established, in addition to the Women’s Football League. “We’ve started establishing academies for children in all cities of the Kingdom to encourage them to play sports and build a strong foundation from which they can start,” the minister said. “After that, the process of exploring their potential begins.” He spoke about the Kingdom’s hosting of international events and tournaments, and reiterated the importance of the private sector in the development of sports in Saudi Arabia.