Qatar Foundation and Volkswagen Middle East Partner to support women athletes

^{Collaboration aimed at boosting opportunities for women and girls in sport} 

Qatar Foundation and Volkswagen Middle East have embarked on a partnership to support capacity-building programs, specifically for women and girls in football.

As part of the agreement, Volkswagen Middle East will become the official sponsor of the Qatar Women & Girls Football Initiative – a tournament that supports grassroots and amateur athletes. The tournament will take place as part of Qatar Foundation’s upcoming 2023-2024 women's football season and will include local and international teams.

“We believe that everyone, including women and girls, should have opportunities to participate in sports. Sport instills healthy mindsets, encourages discipline, teaches leadership skills, and demonstrates the values of teamwork; it helps people to develop a sense of identity and community; and it builds confidence and determination,” said Machaille Hassan Al-Naimi, Executive Officer of the Vice Chairperson and CEO Office of Qatar Foundation, a state-led non-profit organization in Qatar, founded in 1995.

“Hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022 was a testament to the value that sport brings, not only to Qatar, but to our wider society, and we want to build on that legacy by affording girls more opportunities to refine their skills and excel.”

Volkswagen Middle East has been a partner of Qatar Foundation, supporting development programs such as the Future Leaders in Football summit, alongside the German Football Team.

“This new partnership with Qatar Foundation represents a continuation of our commitment to support women in sports, particularly in football, and to provide them with tangible opportunities,” said Matthias Ziegler, Managing Director of Volkswagen Middle East.

“Through this partnership, we are not just sponsoring events, we are nurturing dreams and creating a more inclusive future for the sport of football. We look forward to working with Qatar Foundation in harnessing the power of sports to foster the next generation of leaders.”

Qatar Foundation is home to Education City Stadium, one of the eight stadiums of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. As part of the Foundation’s legacy plans, the stadium will now serve as a sporting hub for women and girls, with a focus on education, health and wellbeing.

The Education City Stadium will feature an elite training center for women where athletes from all over the world will be welcome to improve in their sport at a high-performance level. It will house women-only facilities such as a running track, gyms and multi-purpose sports halls; and will be a home to educational organizations’ delivering female-focused courses and trainings.

A number of sports clubs and organizations that are committed to promoting the participation of women and girls in sports, and to providing a welcoming environment for female athletes of all ages and skill levels, will be housed in the stadium, with Qatar Foundation offering a range of amenities to encourage and support those working in the field of sports, such as sports apparel design, sports entrepreneurship, referee training and more.