Inside MAHD: Building the Future of Saudi Sports Talent
PENSON and AI.IO created an immersive sports performance lab at MAHD Sports Academy, combining athlete testing, real-time data and digital technology.
PENSON partnered with AI.IO to create a next-generation sports performance environment within MAHD Sports Academy in Saudi Arabia. Designed to support the discovery and development of emerging talent, the space brings together sprint, agility and skills testing with real-time data, sensor-enabled technology and immersive digital content.
Athletes move through a series of guided performance tests measuring attributes such as speed, power, reaction and movement efficiency. The results can then be translated into meaningful feedback for athletes and coaches, turning complex data into practical insight that can support training, talent identification and long-term development. The project aligns closely with MAHD’s wider ambition to become a global reference for talent discovery and sports innovation.
The pilot was presented at the highest levels in Saudi Arabia, including to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, demonstrating the potential for AI-powered performance testing to support talent identification at scale. With MAHD continuing to expand its reach across the Kingdom, the project shows how technology, sport and spatial design can work together to help identify and nurture the next generation of Saudi athletes. MAHD has since expanded talent programmes across multiple regions, reinforcing the national scale of that ambition.
