The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was unified in 1932 and subsequently recognized as a state. Although the country is young, it has a deep history. Part of that history is a warrior culture built on a series of battles. With such a history, it is not surprising that Saudi Arabia has now established itself as a premiere place to produce martial artists and combat sports athletes.
To foster this and improve the health and fitness of his country's youth, Prince Abdullah looked to the United Arab Emirates and its promotion of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for inspiration and decided to invest in martial arts in Saudi Arabia. In 2010, two of our advisors from Arena Group traveled to the US to research and network with various US martial arts teams, which led to the decision to partner with me to build the world's largest martial arts facility in Jeddah. Known as Arena Saudi, the facility spans over 100,000 square feet and its construction is recognized as a milestone in the development of martial arts, combat sports and fitness.
In 2014, Arena merged with a company called 22. Mohammed Fayez, who worked as a banker and owner of 22, took over management of the martial arts venue. Now CEO of Arena Group, he vows to continue improving the quality of life for all Saudis through martial arts.
