As the Saudi Pro League season kicks off, the competition’s growing global stature is underscored by a new development mirroring its European counterparts: an influx of American investment.
In July, Saudi Arabia’s ministry of sports announced the privatization of three clubs, with their ownership transferred to investment entities. Among them, top-tier side Al-Kholood was acquired by the Harburg Group, an American investment firm led by venture capitalist Ben Harburg. The move is a key part of the league’s strategy to attract foreign capital.
Building Al-Kholood’s brand presents a challenge. The club has spent most of its history outside the top flight and is based in Ar Rass, a city of 120,000 located 250 miles northwest of Riyadh. However, the new owners have a solid foundation to work with. After being promoted in 2024, Al-Kholood finished a respectable ninth last season, powered by 15 goals from Comoros international Myziane Maolida and a defense anchored by Nigerian centre-back William Troost-Ekong. The club has appointed English manager Des Buckingham, who previously won the Indian Super League with Mumbai City and guided Oxford United to promotion to the Championship.
While Al-Kholood aims to establish itself, the league’s title race is expected to be a fierce contest between the five clubs that dominated last season. In the summer of 2023, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Hilal, and Al-Nassr were taken over by the Public Investment Fund, while oil company Aramco acquired Al-Qadsiah.
Reigning champions Al-Ittihad deservedly won the title, propelled by the goals of Karim Benzema, assists from Moussa Diaby, and the midfield mastery of N’Golo Kanté. Manager Laurent Blanc has successfully kept the core of his winning squad together.
Al-Hilal finished second after a late-season slump that cost manager Jorge Jesus his job. The club has brought in Simone Inzaghi and strengthened its attack by adding Darwin Núñez. As 19-time champions with a history of bouncing back, they are widely considered the team to beat, despite key player Salem Al-Dawsari now being 34.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr finished third, securing a spot in Asian club competition only after being retrospectively awarded three points from a match where an opponent fielded an ineligible player. Stefano Pioli, who arrived mid-season, never appeared settled, and his departure this summer was unsurprising. In a remarkable move, former Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus has taken charge. The veteran Portuguese manager, who led Al-Hilal to a title in 2024 with a world-record 34-game winning streak, will now command his former rival. Ronaldo has signed a new two-year contract and, with new teammates Kingsley Coman and João Félix, will be aiming for his first major trophy in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Ahli made up for a fifth-place domestic finish by winning the Asian Champions League for the first time in May. Ivan Toney became a formidable force, finishing as the league’s second-top scorer with 23 goals, just two behind Ronaldo.
Al-Qadsiah, in their first season after promotion, finished a strong fourth. Though Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has departed, the club has made a significant investment, signing Italian striker Mateo Retegui from Atalanta for nearly £60 million.
Elsewhere, attention will be on Neom SC, a newly promoted club representing the futuristic city still under construction. With former Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier in charge and significant funds available, they are a team to watch, though breaking into the established top five this season remains unlikely.
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