ربما أكون أنا الوحيد من بين جيلي من الإعلاميين وإن لم يكن لدي جيل لم أفكر يوماً في الأمان الوظيفي، كنت أعمل على طريقة عادل إمام في برنامجه «هيا بنا نلعب»، الذي ذكره في مسرحية «شاهد مشفش حاجة»، كنت أحب العمل كأنه لعبتي المفضلة وأدخل إلى المطبخ الصحفي وكأنه مدينة الملاهي.
وزارة الرياضة بالتعاون مع المؤسسة العامة للتأمينات الاجتماعية أعلنت عن بدء تطبيق نظام التأمينات الاجتماعية على اللاعبين والمدربين السعوديين ابتداءً من 1 يوليو 2025، ما يمثل تحوّلًا جذريًا في تعزيز الحماية التأمينية لهذه الفئة المهمة من أبناء الوطن.
مبادرة تأتي استنادًا إلى الأمر الملكي الكريم رقم (م/273) وتاريخ 26/11/1445، الذي أتاح للمؤسسة العامة للتأمينات الاجتماعية توسيع مظلة التغطية لتشمل فئات مهنية غير مشمولة سابقًا، وعلى رأسها الرياضيون المحترفون من لاعبين ومدربين، بما يعكس توجه الدولة نحو تحقيق العدالة الاجتماعية وتكافؤ الفرص بين القطاعات والحفاظ على الأمن الوظيفي.
سيفتح هذا النظام آفاقًا جديدة لحماية مستقبل الرياضيين المهنيين، من خلال ضمان تسجيلهم في التأمينات كبقية أفراد سوق العمل، بما يمنحهم حق الاستفادة من المعاشات، والتعويض عن التعطل عن العمل (ساند)، والتأمين ضد الأخطار المهنية، وذلك وفق ضوابط محددة ومعتمدة.
ولم يكن القرار مفاجئًا لأن رؤية الوطن العظيمة لم تترك زاوية ولا تفصيلة صغيرة إلا ودرست معالجتها، إذ سبقت هذا القرار جهود تنسيقية وتوعوية مكثفة قادتها وزارة الرياضة، التي تعيش برئاسة سمو الأمير عبدالعزيز بن تركي الفيصل عهداً وعصراً استثنائياً، وهو الوزير الذي قاد الرياضة لتكون ضمن قبة مجلس الوزراء.
إن توسيع مظلة الحماية الاجتماعية في القطاع الرياضي، الذي بات يشكل أحد أهم محاور رؤية المملكة 2030 من حيث الاستثمار البشري والاقتصادي بات أمراً ملحاً، فالمؤسسات الرياضية اليوم ليست فقط مراكز للنجاح التنافسي، بل هي بيئات عمل يجب أن تخضع لنفس معايير الأمان والاستقرار الوظيفي، والاستدامة، تماماً كبقية القطاعات الأخرى في المملكة.
قرار ربما لن يجد تفاعلاً كبيراً أو تسليطاً للضوء كون الإعلام الرياضي قد خنق الساحة بمسار ضيق لا يتجاوز ثقافة الفوز والخسارة، إلا أنه مهم للغاية كونه يعزز من الاحترافية في قطاع الرياضة، ويضع اللاعبين والمدربين على طريق الاستدامة المهنية، ويهيئهم للتقاعد الآمن والحياة الكريمة بعد انتهاء مسيرتهم الرياضية، كما يسهم في تقديم إجابات تنظيمية وقانونية للعديد من الإشكاليات التي كانت تؤرق هذا القطاع.
إن قطاعنا الرياضي المحصور مشهده في برامج «التوك شو» الجاذبة للترند يؤكد أنه أكبر من ذلك بكثير فهو ملتزم بمسار العدالة الاجتماعية والتمكين المؤسسي، من خلال سنّ تشريعات نوعية تُواكب تطلعات الرياضيين، وتمنحهم الأمان المهني، وتضمن لهم حياة مستقرة داخل وخارج الملاعب.
تابع قناة عكاظ على الواتساب
I may be the only one among my generation of media professionals who, even without a generation, has never thought about job security. I worked in the way Adel Imam did in his program "Let's Play," which he mentioned in the play "Shahid Mashafsh Haga." I loved working as if it were my favorite game, entering the journalistic kitchen as if it were an amusement park.
The Ministry of Sports, in collaboration with the General Organization for Social Insurance, announced the start of implementing the social insurance system for Saudi players and coaches beginning July 1, 2025, which represents a radical shift in enhancing insurance protection for this important segment of the nation's youth.
This initiative is based on the royal decree No. (M/273) dated 26/11/1445, which allowed the General Organization for Social Insurance to expand the coverage to include professional categories that were previously unprotected, primarily professional athletes, including players and coaches, reflecting the state's commitment to achieving social justice and equal opportunities across sectors while maintaining job security.
This system will open new horizons for protecting the future of professional athletes by ensuring their registration in social insurance like other members of the labor market, granting them the right to benefit from pensions, compensation for unemployment (SAND), and insurance against occupational hazards, all according to specific and approved regulations.
The decision was not surprising, as the great vision of the nation has left no corner or small detail unexamined for treatment. Prior to this decision, there were intensive coordination and awareness efforts led by the Ministry of Sports, which is currently under the exceptional leadership of His Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, the minister who has elevated sports to be part of the Council of Ministers.
Expanding the umbrella of social protection in the sports sector, which has become one of the most important pillars of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 in terms of human and economic investment, has become urgent. Today, sports institutions are not just centers for competitive success; they are work environments that must adhere to the same standards of job security, stability, and sustainability, just like other sectors in the Kingdom.
This decision may not find significant interaction or spotlight, as sports media has suffocated the arena with a narrow narrative that does not go beyond the culture of winning and losing. However, it is extremely important as it enhances professionalism in the sports sector, places players and coaches on the path to professional sustainability, and prepares them for secure retirement and a dignified life after their sports careers. It also contributes to providing organizational and legal answers to many issues that have troubled this sector.
Our sports sector, confined to the scenes of trending talk shows, confirms that it is much larger than that. It is committed to the path of social justice and institutional empowerment by enacting quality legislation that meets the aspirations of athletes, provides them with professional security, and ensures them a stable life both inside and outside the arenas.
The Ministry of Sports, in collaboration with the General Organization for Social Insurance, announced the start of implementing the social insurance system for Saudi players and coaches beginning July 1, 2025, which represents a radical shift in enhancing insurance protection for this important segment of the nation's youth.
This initiative is based on the royal decree No. (M/273) dated 26/11/1445, which allowed the General Organization for Social Insurance to expand the coverage to include professional categories that were previously unprotected, primarily professional athletes, including players and coaches, reflecting the state's commitment to achieving social justice and equal opportunities across sectors while maintaining job security.
This system will open new horizons for protecting the future of professional athletes by ensuring their registration in social insurance like other members of the labor market, granting them the right to benefit from pensions, compensation for unemployment (SAND), and insurance against occupational hazards, all according to specific and approved regulations.
The decision was not surprising, as the great vision of the nation has left no corner or small detail unexamined for treatment. Prior to this decision, there were intensive coordination and awareness efforts led by the Ministry of Sports, which is currently under the exceptional leadership of His Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, the minister who has elevated sports to be part of the Council of Ministers.
Expanding the umbrella of social protection in the sports sector, which has become one of the most important pillars of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 in terms of human and economic investment, has become urgent. Today, sports institutions are not just centers for competitive success; they are work environments that must adhere to the same standards of job security, stability, and sustainability, just like other sectors in the Kingdom.
This decision may not find significant interaction or spotlight, as sports media has suffocated the arena with a narrow narrative that does not go beyond the culture of winning and losing. However, it is extremely important as it enhances professionalism in the sports sector, places players and coaches on the path to professional sustainability, and prepares them for secure retirement and a dignified life after their sports careers. It also contributes to providing organizational and legal answers to many issues that have troubled this sector.
Our sports sector, confined to the scenes of trending talk shows, confirms that it is much larger than that. It is committed to the path of social justice and institutional empowerment by enacting quality legislation that meets the aspirations of athletes, provides them with professional security, and ensures them a stable life both inside and outside the arenas.


