Riyadh, January 23, 2024, The National Portal for Hobbies, known as 'Hawi' and an integral part of the Quality-of-Life program, has disclosed its accomplishments for the year 2023, highlighting its dedication to fostering the hobbies sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The initiative focuses on cultivating a culture of hobbies, enhancing societal awareness regarding the significance and benefits of engaging in hobbies, and elevating the experience for enthusiasts while directing developmental efforts towards improving services.
Hawi reported a notable surge in activity, attracting 440,000 visitors during promotional tours in 30 cities and provinces across Saudi Arabia. This marked a substantial 215% increase, with 678 registered hobbyist clubs, 571 organized events, and a total of 800 facilities across the Kingdom.
In 2023, the Hawi portal witnessed a membership count of 33,000 individuals and achieved an extensive outreach of 27 million across various social media platforms. Tariq bin Adnan Al-Ghourabi, the Director-General of the Hobbies Development Sector at the Quality-of-Life Program, highlighted the positive growth as an indication of the community's enthusiasm for 'Hawi.' He emphasized the crucial need for an innovative and motivating environment to encourage individuals, both citizens and residents in Saudi Arabia, to explore and nurture their hobbies.
Al-Ghourabi affirmed the commitment to supporting enthusiasts and their clubs through partnerships with governmental, private, and non-profit sectors, aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to enhance the quality of life.
On December 14th, the National Portal for Hobbies launched the new Hawi application, offering an enhanced suite of services. This application, designed to serve hobbyists across all cities and provinces in Saudi Arabia, is part of the ongoing campaign "Got a Hobby... We've Got an App," running until mid-February 2024. The initiative aims to help individuals discover their personal hobbies and facilitate and empower them in pursuing these interests, recognizing the fundamental role of identifying and exploring hobbies before engaging in their practice, applicable to individuals of all ages.
Established in October 2022, the National Portal for Hobbies "Hawi" is an initiative by the Quality-of-Life Program, bringing together 12 government entities to provide support and empowerment for enthusiasts in various hobbies. The initiative strives to create a supportive environment for citizens, residents, and visitors to participate in cultural, sports, recreational, environmental, and other hobbies. This is achieved through the portal, club registration, obtaining licenses, and organizing events using the free Hawi application available on smartphones through the App Store and Google Play.
