Practicing sport activities has become increasingly popular in all regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in recent years, with the emergence of teams that encourage practicing sports and spread awareness around the importance of physical activity. One such group is known as the Darajjati initiative, which specializes in cycling and sets itself apart from other initiatives by combining sports with volunteering and community work.
The Darajjati initiative was founded by Abdullah Alwathlan in 2012 in Riyadh, and includes a team of 100 young men and women whose roles vary between administrators, captains, as well as program and event managers from all around the regions and cities of the Kingdom, with more than 7000 affiliated members. The initiative aims to raise interest in cycling and volunteer work in all segments of society in general, while focusing on youth in particular.
Darajjati began with a passion for cycling, and expanded step by step towards community work. In 2019, it was awarded the King Khalid Award for Development Partners. The award was received from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz in appreciation of the positive impact the initiative has on Saudi society and its contribution towards achieving the Kingdom’s Vision 2030; by raising the percentage of sports practitioners among the population from 13% to 40%, in addition to increasing the number of volunteers around the country.
The initiative aspires to reach one million volunteers and aims to make cycling one of the main means of transportation in the Kingdom. It also hopes for the implementation of cycling lanes in the future, the absence of which being one of the main challenges that the initiative faces. The initiative also aims to continue supporting Saudi youth and raising awareness around this sport in the Saudi community.
Faris Al-Otaibi, Darajjati’s Director of Planning, shared that the initiative's long-term goal is to raise the general level of health and extend the average lifespan in the community through cycling.
Darajjati has touched the lives of many participants since its establishment. Among these participants is Abdulrahman Alhalwan, who has Down syndrome, who joined the initiative with the aim of improving his health by reducing his weight and blood sugar levels. Abdulrahman was able to achieve his goal and has progressed in his cycling abilities through practice. The initiative has provided Abdulrahman and other young people like him the opportunity to engage in society and make friends with others who share a love for the sport.
Abdulkareem Alaqeel, who joined Darajjati in 2014, is another example of people whose lives have been changed by the initiative. Abdulkareem donated one of his kidneys in 2016, and since then has also donated blood platelets for the treatment of children with cancer. Abdulkareem confirmed that the initiative had played a key role in encouraging him to do more charity and volunteer work as well as heightening his sense of social responsibility.
Turki Almufarraj also shared his experience with Darajjati, which began in 2014, when Turki, who suffers from diabetes, joined the initiative with a desire to get his health condition under control. Through cycling, he was able to achieve his goal. Turki then proposed to establish a special team for diabetics as part of the initiative, under the name Diabetes Warriors. The team was indeed established in 2019, and since then the Diabetes Warriors have been cycling together every Monday, with a notable decline in the participants’ blood sugar levels.
Abdulaziz Al-Mutairi explained that the initiative also has a special team for young people with Down syndrome, autism, ADHD, and other forms of neurodivergence, where their abilities and skills are enhanced through weekly training under the supervision of field specialists. Abdulaziz urged parents of neurodivergent children to participate in the cycling events held every Saturday in the Diriyah city of Riyadh for the team, and also stressed that expanding the scope of the initiative for this group to include all regions of the Kingdom is a top priority for Darajjati.
Fahad Alwathlan, who joined Darajjati 7 years ago, added that the initiative is present on all social media platforms, through which it publishes weekly exercise schedules, specifying the time, date and place. Fahad also emphasized that the initiative is open for everyone who would like to participate, explaining that all anyone needs to do is attend with their helmet and bike, adding that the initiative’s team members are available to provide consultations on choosing the appropriate bicycle for first time participants, in addition to providing all other information that they would need to exercise properly and safely.
Darajjati is available on all social media platforms, where exercise schedules, event announcements, and volunteering opportunities are shared regularly.
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