The First Al-Maher Values Tournament 2023

On Friday, 19 May 2023, Al-Shatea Stadium on King Abdulaziz Road in Jeddah hosted the first Al-Maher Values Tournament — a community initiative organized end to end by the Loftiness of Ideas team, under the patronage of Al-Maher Football Academy and the Qiyam Al-Huda Association.

It was more than a competition: it was a place where orphans met students from international and private schools on the same pitch, in the same kit, with the same team spirit.

The idea: sport as a bridge for values

The initiative had two goals: to create a fun environment for children, young people and orphans grounded in strong values, and to integrate orphans into the community through an activity that puts everyone on equal footing.

Values were applied on the pitch itself: the best player for sportsmanship and values was honored, a warning was given for any breach of values, and everyone observed prayer times throughout the day.

Why this initiative?

Young people look for something to fill around 35% of their day, negative influences spread fast on social media, and many youth programs lack a solid foundation of values. The tournament offered a fun sports program for orphans, young people and children, helping strengthen positive values among them in Jeddah.

The participants

Nine teams took part, representing international and private schools and an orphans' team: Dar Al-Fikr Schools, Qiyam Al-Huda Association, KMIS International Schools, Al-Anjal Schools, Al-Maher Football Academy, Al-Sayed Abdullah Abbas Shurbatly Orphan Care Home, Eshbelia International School, Al-Bayan Private Schools and ZSIS.

Players competed in three age groups — primary (grades 4 to 6), intermediate and secondary — with between 250 and 300 players in total.

One day of excitement

The tournament ran as a single-day knockout from 5 pm to 11 pm. Each match lasted 20 minutes, with nine players on the pitch including the goalkeeper and six substitutes per team.

Between 500 and 1,500 spectators — families, students and fans — followed the matches, and every participating team received an award recognizing its participation and sportsmanship.

Partners in success

The tournament was backed by sponsors including SAAZ IDEA, Pro Phone, Hattrick, Aish w Malh and Sunna'a Al-Najah, with medical sponsorship from Fakeeh Care Group and Medical Golden Etihad Cooperation.

Our role

Loftiness of Ideas organized the tournament from the first idea to the final whistle: planning and scheduling, coordinating with schools and partners, securing sponsors, designing the identity and marketing materials, and running tournament day.