Salem Badughaish
FOT: ARAB NEWS
The Saudi Minister of Sports recently announced a significant development in the sports sector. During a press conference, it was revealed that ownership of Al-Qadisiyah club will be transferred to Aramco, while Al-Hilal, Al-Nasr, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Ahly clubs will be transferred to the Public Investment Fund. This move is part of the investment and privatization project for sports clubs launched by Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. The project aims to achieve the goals set out in Saudi Vision 2030 for the sports sector, which involves building a strong sports industry and encouraging private sector involvement to enhance the performance of national teams, sports clubs, and athletes.
The project comprises two main aspects in its initial phase. The first involves allowing major companies and development agencies to invest in sports clubs in exchange for ownership transfer. The second aspect focuses on privatizing a number of sports clubs, with the process set to begin in the last quarter of 2023.
The project is built upon three strategic objectives. Firstly, it aims to create favorable investment opportunities and an appealing environment in the sports sector to establish a sustainable sports economy. Secondly, it seeks to enhance professionalism and improve the administrative and financial governance of sports clubs. Lastly, the project aims to elevate the quality and infrastructure of clubs to provide excellent services to sports fans, ultimately enhancing the overall spectator experience.
The transfer and privatization of clubs are intended to bring about significant advancements in various sports in Saudi Arabia by 2030. The goal is to develop an exceptional generation of athletes on regional and global levels. Specifically in football, the project aims to elevate the game and its competitions, positioning the Saudi League among the top ten leagues globally. Furthermore, it aims to increase the annual revenues of the Saudi Professional League from 450 million riyals to over 1.8 billion riyals and raise its market value from 3 billion to over 8 billion riyals.
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