The Growth of Table Tennis in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and Opportunities

Professional table tennis tournaments were first introduced in 1956 when the Saudi Arabian Table Tennis Committee was established—that was 69 years ago. The journey since then has been one of remarkable growth, persistent challenges, and emerging opportunities.

In 1979, the committee changed its name to the Saudi Table Tennis Federation (STTF), which still exists today. The STTF currently has 3,478 players across all age categories (including me) and 152 clubs.

The first women's local table tennis tournament was only hosted a few years ago, with most players being male for decades. However, in recent years, the federation has been working intensively to develop the late-rising women's division.

The future of Saudi table tennis: developing both youth and women's divisions

Image courtesy of STTF Instagram

The Funding Challenge

Sports in Saudi Arabia are divided into three categories, according to the Saudi Ministry of Sport, as all leagues are government-funded. A sport's category can change annually based on an end-of-year evaluation.

Table tennis once belonged to the highest category (receiving the most prize money) but was later downgraded to the lowest category (receiving the least prize money). Since then, clubs have been living in fear.

Most clubs focus only on football (soccer). Out of the 3,478 players, only around 1,500 actively participate in each tournament. Not enough investment is going into the sport because table tennis does not attract any attention from investors.

A New Dawn: Royal Leadership

International Recognition

In 2024, Saudi Arabia hosted its first WTT event, Saudi Smash. Players from all over the world, including top-five players like Sun Yingsha, traveled to Jeddah, eyeing the prize money. This put the spotlight on Saudi Arabia and the region.

Later, at the end of 2024, Saudi Arabia held its first WTT Youth Contender event in Dammam. This shows that Saudi Arabia is willing to develop both its youth and senior divisions in table tennis.

Persistent Challenges

With all of this, table tennis in Saudi Arabia is still struggling. Few players are actually interested in learning the sport, leaving the same old players in the loop. Furthermore, coaches are struggling to receive their salaries on time from the clubs.

Looking back, though, the sport has grown tremendously since the STTF was first established, but it feels like we are in a recession.

National Team Excellence

The Saudi national team, however, receives the best treatment, with specialized coaches and training camps in different countries. The national airline, Saudia, offers discounted tickets for all players participating in the yearly table tennis league when traveling for official competitions.

Now, we see international stars like Omar Assar and Quadri Aruna playing in the league, bringing world-class talent to Saudi Arabia's domestic competition.

Looking Forward

Overall, table tennis has come a long way since it first started in the country. The sport has evolved from a small committee in 1956 to hosting international WTT events and attracting world-class players.

The appointment of his royal highness prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Nasser Al Saud and increased visibility through social media and broadcasting shows promise for the future. However, fundamental challenges around funding, infrastructure, and grassroots development remain.