HRH PRINCESS AYAH SUPPORTS ‘SPORT FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT’ PROJECT LAUNCH IN GHOR AL-SAFI

Under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Ayah bint Feisal, President of the Jordan Volleyball Federation and Board Member of the Jordan Olympic Committee, the Sport for Sustainable Urban Development project in Ghor Al-Safi was launched today at the Generations for Peace Hall.
Through a partnership between UN-Habitat Jordan, Zaha Cultural Centre, Southern Aghwar Municipality and in cooperation with the JOC, the project comes within a joint international initiative aim to use sport, physical activity and active recreation as practical tools to support sustainable development and improve the quality of life in local communities.
It is being implemented across Jordan, Egypt, Ghana and Brazil, with the Ghor Al-Safi region selected as a pilot model for implementation in the Kingdom.
Sport for Sustainable Urban Development is based on a vision that goes beyond sport being just a recreational activity. It uses sport to improve public spaces, promote health, well-being, support social inclusion, empower children, adolescents, youth, women, persons with disabilities and foster community cohesion, alongside building local institutional capacity to integrate sport and physical activity within urban development plans.
In Ghor Al-Safi, several sports facilities will be developed at the Zaha Cultural Centre, including a running track, an outdoor gym, a beach volleyball court, a dedicated play area for early childhood based on the Urban 95 methodology, contributing to providing safe, open, inclusive spaces that allow community members to engage in physical activity, promoting positive use of public spaces.
Executive Director of Zaha Cultural Centre, Rania Subeih, said that the it represents an extension of the centre’s role in supporting local communities, providing safe and inclusive environments. She emphasised that developing sports facilities in Ghor Al-Safi constitutes an investment in human capital and community, contributing to enhancing quality of life and providing broader opportunities to practice sport for various community segments.
She added: “Since the opening of Zaha Cultural Centre in Ghor Al-Safi in 2022, the centre has served as a safe, open space for community members, providing children, adolescents, youth and women with opportunities to learn, participate and develop.
“Today, the Sport for Sustainable Urban Development project reinforces this role by investing in sport and public spaces as tools for empowerment and improving quality of life.”
Subeih affirmed the importance of partnership between national and international entities in achieving sustainable impact, noting that the Ghor Al-Safi experience could be repeated across other regions.
For her part, Head of UN-Habitat Country Programme in Jordan, Eng. Dima Abu Thiab, said: “At UN-Habitat, we believe in the importance of enhancing the role of cities and local authorities in sustainable urban development. We are adopting evidence-based participatory planning, engaging the community in identifying its needs and priorities to contribute to improving quality of life, directing resources and investments to where they achieve the greatest impact and creating opportunities to attract qualitative, sustainable investments supporting local development.”
The launch ceremony included a presentation on the project, alongside a review of the progress made to date.