The Saudi Pro League remains the largest spender in the Arab region on international signings, despite spending 52.1% less y-o-y in 2024, according to an Asharq Mercato report (pdf). Saudi football clubs’ total spending on international transfers fell to USD 465 from USD 970 mn, marking a sharp contrast with the 18.3x growth experienced between 2022 and 2023.

Targeting young talent: Saudi Pro League clubs invested a combined EUR 153.1 mn on players under the age of 23 during the year, up from EUR 54 mn in 2023. Notable signings include 21-year-old Marcos Leonardo moving from Benfica to Al Hilal for EUR 40 mn, as well as Brazilian promising talents Angelo Gabriel (EUR 23 mn) and Wesly Gassova (EUR 18 mn) arriving to Al Nasr from Chelsea and Corinthians, respectively.

REMEMBER- Officials reportedly asked clubs to focus on homegrown talent and luring promising young international players that can now “learn from the best,” following the 2023 summer transfer window which saw the likes of Neymar, Karim Benzema, and Sadio Mane join the SPL. “This strategic focus on youth players allows us to build long-term success, competitiveness, and sustainability for both the league and the clubs,” an SPL spokesperson said last year.

The regional picture: Arab clubs’ spending on international transfers fell 45.3% y-o-y to USD 667.7 mn in 2024, following a 12.5x growth clip to USD 1.2 bn in the previous year. Meanwhile, revenues were up 40.5% y-o-y at USD 71.2 mn.

We spend the most, but we also make the most: Saudi clubs’ average revenue grew 65.1% y-o-y to SAR 27.9 mn over the same period — outpacing and out-earning their Arab peers, bagging USD 54.8 mn between 2020 and 2024. The SPL was followed by Egypt’s EPL (USD 46.3 mn) and Morocco’s Bottola Pro 1 (USD 42.9 mn). Meanwhile, Saudi spending came in at some SAR 1.6 bn, with Qatar (USD 394.7 mn), the UAE (USD 175.4 mn), and Egypt (USD 38.9 mn) trailing behind.

And it’s paying off: Saudi Arabia’s sports sector added USD 6.9 bn to the Kingdom’s GDP in 2023 — up from USD 2.4 bn in 2016, a report by Surj Sports Investment revealed in December. In 2023, the local sports market grew 12.5% y-o-y to USD 7.2 bn, and forecasters predict the market may hit USD 22.4 bn by 2030.

ICYMI- The Sports Ministry unveiled a SAR 1.7 bn package to three sports initiatives for the 2024-2025 season last December in a bid to support club development.

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