Saudi Pro League, A Historical Perspective

By AYC

Updated May 28, 2024 | 3 min read

1 Introduction
2 History
- 2.1 2023 Saudi “Revolution
- 2.2 Sponsorship
3 Competition format
- 3.1 Competition
- 3.2 Promotion and relegation
4 Current teams

Introduction

Saudi Pro League (SPL), The elite football league in Saudi Arabia, or the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) for sponsorship purposes. It was founded in 1976 and ran as a round-robin competition until 1990, when it combined with the King’s Cup to become a knockout event. In 2007, the round-robin format was reinstated. With clubs like Al-Hilal, Al-Shabab, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Nassr experiencing notable success, the league is highly regarded in Asia. As part of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, it attracted interest from throughout the world in 2023 when it signed elite players from Europe and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund bought significant shares in four of the best clubs.

History

Saudi football was a regional sport up until the late 1950s, when the King’s Cup was the only national competition. With eight teams when it first began in 1976, the first professional league grew to ten the following year. The league briefly combined with the First Division in 1981–1982. The league and the King’s Cup united in 1990 to form the “Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques League Cup,” which had a round-robin and knockout phase. In 2007, the league was entirely professional. Based on league standings and the King Cup winner, four Saudi teams have qualified for the AFC Champions League every year since 2008.

2023 Saudi “Revolution

With the arrival of numerous European players for the 2023–24 season, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kanté, and others, the Saudi Pro League attracted attention from across the world in 2023. It was believed that Ronaldo’s action in particular was what started this “revolution” in Asian football. In order to assist Saudi Vision 2030, the country’s Public Investment Fund purchased 75% of the shares in Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, and Al-Nassr. Some have condemned these actions as Saudi Arabian government sportswashing.

Sponsorship

The Saudi Pro League, sometimes known as the “Zain League,” was supported by the Zain Group from 2009 until 2013. It was sponsored by Abdul Latif Jameel and known as the “Jameel League” from 2013 to 2018. In 2018, following a reorganization, the name was changed back to “Saudi Pro League.” The league, known as the “Roshn Saudi League,” has been supported by Roshn, the Public Investment Fund’s real estate section, since the 2022–2023 season.

Competition format

Competition

The 18 clubs in the Saudi Pro League. Every club participates in 34 games in a double round-robin format during the August through May season. In the event of a win, a draw, or a defeat, a team receives three points. Points are used to determine rankings, followed by goal differential and head-to-head records.

Promotion and relegation

The Saudi Pro League has a promotion and relegation system with the Saudi First Division League. The three lowest-placed teams in the Pro League are relegated to the First Division, while the top three teams from the First Division are promoted to the Pro League.