Go Development in the Middle East

Daniela Trinks /April 13, 2023

How to cite this article:
Trinks, D. (2023). Go Development in the Middle East. Journal of Go Studies, 17(1), 105-143. doi: 10.62578/169621

Abstract
      There is a growing interest in factors that affect the spreading of Go due to a slow but steady increase in the number of IGF members. Few studies have addressed Go in the Middle East. This paper aims at investigating the Go development in the Middle Eastern countries Turkey, Israel, Iran, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Data from literature and interviews were analyzed regarding the history, the current state, the organization, the strategies, and the difficulties associated with developing Go. The five case studies revealed country-specific characteristics due to differences in Go history and promotion strategies. For example, Turkey and Saudi Arabia mainly target university students, while Iran focuses on cooperation with other sports organizations and training Go teachers, and Turkey and Israel emphasize utilizing the new media. Consequently, the achievements also differ from case to case, such as an increased Go population (Turkey, Iran), professional Go level (Israel), and governmental recognition (Iran, Saudi Arabia). However, all countries share common obstacles, such as limited public awareness of Go, and lacking Go teacher education. The findings indicate that successful Go development can be driven by locals with the support of developed Go countries. Collaborations between Middle Eastern countries, online Go content and Go teacher workshops are needed to accelerate the Go development in the Middle East.

Keywords: Go, Baduk, Weiqi, Go culture, Go globalization, Middle East, Turkey, Israel, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia.