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Watch: Prince William meets footballers from Saudi Arabia women’s squad
The British prince interacted with young female footballers in Riyadh and even netted goals of his own during a practice session
- PUBLISHED: Wed 11 Feb 2026, 1:00 PM UPDATED: Wed 11 Feb 2026, 10:32 PM
Manchester United or Al Hilal, football commands a massive following in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. And Prince William, who is on a three-day official visit to the Arab nation, tapped into this common passion as he seeks to boost bilateral ties between the two states.
The British prince interacted with young female footballers in Riyadh during his second day of his ongoing state visit on Tuesday and even netted goals of his own during a practice session.
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A passionate football fan himself, Prince William was all smiles as he interacted with the sportswomen and shook hands with them. The British royal's official Instagram handle posted a series of photographs and videos of the interaction.
The post was captioned: "Meeting footballers from Saudi girls’ squad alongside HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sport."
Prince William began his first official visit to Saudi Arabia on Monday with a private tour of the Unesco World Heritage Site at At-Turaif, led by the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Prince William's visit is aimed at strengthening the already amicable relations between Britain and Saudi Arabia and signalling to the world that the kingdom is a vital partner. The trip came at the request of the British government, according to Kensington Palace, William's office.
The Kensington Palace also said William will participate in engagements focused on Saudi Arabia's economic reforms, cultural initiatives and environmental programmes, Reuters reported.
Trade deal on the cards?
Beyond the optics, Prince William's visit may carry much more substance.
Politico reported that the visit, timed to mark a century of diplomatic relations between the two countries, is also aimed at cementing a trade deal between Britain and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council. The media outlet quoted an unnamed royal aide as saying that the visit can "unlock" the deal after nearly four years of talks.
The current king, Charles III, was the last senior British royal to make an official visit to Riyadh, when he was Prince of Wales, in 2014.
