The Islamic Solidarity Sports Association (ISSA) attended the Middle East Sports Investment Forum (MESIF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday (28 January), highlighting the impact of sport through events such as the Islamic Solidarity Games.

ISSA Secretary General Nasser Majali attended MESIF Riyadh 2026, along with Director of International Relations and Cooperation Fatema Hayat.

MESIF Riyadh 2026 focused on the latest trends, challenges and opportunities in the sports investment landscape within the Middle East, bringing together leading sports stakeholders from around the world.

Mr Majali spoke on the panel titled Major Sports & Entertainment Events: A Growing Economic Driver For the Middle East, highlighting the Islamic Solidarity Games Riyadh 2025 as a successful example of impactful event delivery.

“For us, it’s no longer about bigger events – it’s about smarter events. The ambition is to arrive in a city and leave it stronger than we found it, with a legacy designed to benefit people long after the Games. That means designing events around long-term economic, social, and institutional impact, not just what happens during competition,” he said.

Ms Hayat moderated the panel discussion titled Sport & Social Impact: How Sport is Shaping Development in the Middle East, featuring contributions from the Deputy CEO of the Organising Committee for the Riyadh 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games Marwan Albazie, Oman Vision 2040 Operations Excellence Lead Nader Al Rawahy, Motion Academy Managing Partner Haya Sawan, and Generation Amazing Executive Director Nasser Al Khori.

The Islamic Solidarity Games Riyadh 2025 were held from 7-21 November last year, bringing together more than 3,000 athletes from the ISSA’s 57 member countries.