Saudi Pro League: strategy for the development of professional football in Saudi Arabia

• Launch of the Player Acquisition Center of Excellence (PACE) programme for Saudi clubs, "in a further effort to create elite squads that combine exciting up and coming young Saudi talent with world-class international players and role models"
• Lowering the minimum age for players to play for Saudi professional clubs from 18 to 16 from the 2023-24 season;
• A requirement for clubs to have at least 10 players under the age of 21 in their squad of 35 professional players from 2025-26;
• A requirement to include at least eight players trained in the country and four from the club's training centre in the professional squad from 2026-27.

These are the main measures of the strategy presented by the Saudi Pro League (SPL) on 18/07/2023 "to drive competitiveness on and off the pitch with an emphasis on fostering young Saudi talent alongside securing the best international talent and improving the governance of all clubs for long-term success."

These measures, taken in agreement with the Saudi Football Federation (SAFF), follow the Saudi sports club investment and privatisation project…