How Aramco is driving sporting excellence

• Aramco has promoted sport since its early years of operation
• We have fostered the growth of community sports, nurturing talent and promoting active lifestyles
• We now aim to advance a culture of excellence globally through sponsorship of major sporting events and by forming long-term partnerships with leading motorsport and sports leagues 

Since our early years of operation, Aramco has sought to create opportunities that benefit Saudi Arabia and the global communities where we operate. As good corporate citizens, we seek to grow societal value wherever we operate, engaging in community development, and environmental stewardship to make a tangible, positive impact on people’s lives.

One of the ways in which we are doing this is by helping promote sports, which have a proven positive effect on the mental, physical, and social well-being of individuals.

From building the first golf courses in Saudi Arabia to now sponsoring motorsports like Formula 1^® and team sports like football, cricket, and basketball — both at the community and international levels — we remain deeply passionate about promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports.

Let us explore how our journey in sport began.

Inspiring champions

Our association with sport dates back to the early 1940s, when some of our early workers built a nine-hole sand course to play golf on a vast tract of land in Dhahran. Without access to traditional turf or grass, they improvised, creating smooth putting surfaces using compacted sand.

As our operations grew over the next few years, an influx of expatriate workers arrived in the Kingdom with their families, bringing not only their professional expertise but also a passion for sports. As golf gained popularity, we built several golf courses for our employees and their families in residential communities near our oil and gas fields in Abqaiq, Ras Tanura, and Udhailiyah. We did this not only to promote our employees’ well-being but also to foster a healthy work-life balance. On the field, our people found a shared purpose and mutual respect — often carrying it into the workplace. In a company that was rapidly growing, sport became a unifying force for both our Saudi workers and those who came to work in Saudi Arabia from different parts of the world, with diverse cultures, languages, and backgrounds.

Community Championships

As the company grew, so did the need to support a more holistic lifestyle for its workforce. Sport was no longer just a weekend hobby; it became central to life in our residential areas.

By the 1960s and ‘70s, our recreation departments were thriving — organizing leagues, scheduling tournaments, and managing sport facilities. Swimming, playing racquetball, bowling, and running track became part of everyday life.

This legacy of active engagement laid the groundwork for new initiatives in the years that followed. In 2021, we extended the tradition of community sport by launching the Aramco Sports Championship (ASC). The ASC is a multi-sport engagement platform with a vision to unite employees, families, retirees, and affiliates under one championship. The ASC runs for several months and spans 14 cities across Aramco communities, and offers an expanding portfolio of sports (from 20 in its first year to 43 in 2026) that’s open to employees, dependents, retirees, and people with disabilities. Over five editions, the ASC has evolved from an internal wellness and engagement initiative into an inclusive platform that aims to promote health, belonging, and corporate unity — a symbol of putting people at the center of everything we do.

From recreation to pathways

Aramco’s journey in organized sports started with recreational activities aimed at fostering community engagement. As these initiatives matured, the introduction of consistent training, qualified coaches, and tiered competitions paved the way for structured talent development within our communities.

The Eastern Flames Football Club offers a clear example of this progression. Founded in 2006 in the Eastern Province, it was among the first women’s football teams in the Kingdom. What began as a grassroots initiative to provide women and girls with opportunities to train and compete soon evolved into a club capable of competing on the national stage. By 2025, Eastern Flames had earned a place in the Saudi Women’s Premier League — the Kingdom’s top division — and established itself as a pioneer of the women’s game. The club has also helped individual players advance their careers, further demonstrating how a community-based program opened pathways to national representation.