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Saudi hoping the world is watching as its star-studded Pro League kicks off
The kingdom wants 'the compass of professional football to point to the Middle East and the Arab world'
French forward Karim Benzema greets the crowd during his unveiling at King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah, on June 8, 2023. - AFP
The Saudi Pro League kicks off on Friday amid unprecedented attention on Saudi football following a year of high-profile transfers,
Clubs in the Gulf state have successfully roped in global stars, with Karim Benzema, Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane among those following in Cristiano Ronaldo's footstep,].
Eighteen clubs will take part in the league, with each allowed eight foreign players.
"Saudi Arabia aspires to be like the English Premier League," said Simon Chadwick, professor of Sport and Geopolitical Economy at Skema Business School in Paris.
"The media is paying attention," he told AFP.
"I'm aware of people now asking the question: where can I watch the Saudi Pro League?".
The world's biggest oil exporter has invested hundreds of millions at sports deals including Ronaldo's capture, Formula One in Jeddah and the lucrative LIV Golf tour.
It is all part of grand plans by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to modernise the Saudi economy and remove its reliance on oil before the world moves on to other fuels.
Moqbel Al-Zabni, editor-in-chief of the Saudi capital's Al Riyadiah newspaper said that the kingdom wants "the compass of professional football to point to the Middle East and the Arab world".
Ronaldo's arrival in January to play for the Riyadh-based Al-Nassr club is what first drew global attention to ongoing efforts to boost the Saudi Pro League.
The kingdom successfully lured celebrity players, rising stars and top coaches.
"I've worked in sport for 40 years and I've never seen a project as big, as ambitious and as determined to be a success," British director Peter Hutton, who sits on the league's board, told the BBC.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said the Saudi league has "completely changed the market" and he expects more high-profile players to move there.
Chadwick, the professor, said that Saudi football is still "very much a work in progress".
"We're probably looking at the next five to ten years before determining whether there is a long-term sustainable and fundamental change," the expert added.
One test, he said, will be Saudi clubs' performances in the Asian Champions League.
A second test will be the extent to which the Saudi Pro League can sustain long-term engagement from football fans, who fly from all the world to watch the English Premier League.
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