Taif expands summer recreation with thriving new padel courts

Taif’s new padel courts were rolled out as part of the city’s expanded summer recreation push, giving the highland destination another fast-paced sport to offer during its busiest season. The facilities were framed as a lasting addition to the city’s leisure mix, with the clear aim of turning seasonal activity into regular court time.

A July 20, 2026 item from the Saudi Press Agency described the courts as thriving and tied them to Taif’s wider summer programme. That matters because the real test is not whether padel can draw attention for a day, but who uses the courts after the novelty wears off: families looking for an easy entry point, youth players building habits, or casual tourists who want a short, accessible sport during a summer visit.

The broader market gives Taif a strong runway. The International Padel Federation said in February 2025 that Saudi Arabia remained Asia’s leading country for courts in 2024. A February 2024 FIP update had already put Saudi Arabia at 30% of Asia’s courts, a share that shows how central the kingdom has become to the region’s padel footprint.

The sport’s scale is now global as well. A March 2025 industry report put padel at more than 70,000 courts worldwide and over 23,000 clubs globally, evidence of a game that has moved well beyond niche status. In that context, Taif’s courts are not an isolated leisure project. They sit inside a country that has become one of the sport’s main growth engines, and their value will be measured by whether the summer crowds come back after the season shifts and the tourists go home.