The limited participation of some Saudi players with their clubs raises many questions about the impact of the accumulation of local talent in the major teams on the future of these players and their chances of participating with the Saudi national team, which is preparing for future events, most notably the 2027 Asian Cup scheduled for the Kingdom. As the winter transfer period approaches, the issue of players who do not get enough minutes moving to clubs that allow them to participate regularly returns to the forefront, in a way that serves their artistic career and enhances the “green” options.
Murad Hawsawi's experience stands out as one of the cases that reflects this problem, after he moved last January from Al Khaleej to Al Hilal in a big deal during the winter transfer period, following several clubs competing to sign him. Al Hilal succeeded in finalizing the deal, in light of the player’s desire and insistence to move to one of the big and competitive clubs, before choosing Al Hilal’s offer from among the offers presented to him.
Hawsawi's start with Al Hilal was not very encouraging, as he faced difficulty in leaving his mark during his limited participations, including facing Al Sadd of Qatar in the last edition of the AFC Champions League for the Elite, which he entered as a substitute and wasted a number of opportunities to score, before the match ended in a draw and Al Hilal exited the tournament on penalties.
That confrontation raised questions about its impact on the player's subsequent chances, in light of his limited participation under the leadership of Italian coach Inzaghi, who relied on a specific group of players, while a number of team members did not receive sufficient opportunities. This coincided with a season in which Al-Hilal lost the Saudi League title, and was content with winning the King’s Cup, amid questions about the effect of repeated reliance on a specific group in tiring the players.
Hawsawi had received advice not to rush to move to a large club that includes a large number of stars, for fear of losing his starting position and his chances of joining the Saudi national team. His limited participation coincided with his exclusion from the “Green” list for the 2026 World Cup, and then his absence from the options of Greek coach Georgios Donis, despite the latter’s knowledge of his artistic capabilities.
The technical relationship between Denis and Hawsawi goes back to the coach’s period of work with Al Khaleej, when the club attracted the player from Uhud, and the Greek coach contributed to developing his level and giving him the opportunity to participate as a starter, before he became among the Saudi names that attended the 2025 Arab Cup in Doha, during the period of French coach Hervé Renard leading the national team.
This case raises a broader question about financially capable clubs contracting with emerging Saudi players from other clubs, as part of their efforts to strengthen their ranks, in exchange for the difficulties that these players may face in obtaining regular opportunities, amid the abundance of local and foreign stars. This is an issue that previously required the adoption of regulations regulating some cases of transfer over the past years, but the phenomenon has continued, even if it has witnessed a decline in some of its aspects.
On the other hand, Sultan Haroun’s experience presents a different model for dealing with limited participation opportunities, after Al-Qadisiyah loaned him to Al-Ettifaq nearly two months after buying his contract, along with his colleague Ahmed Al-Sayhi from Riyadh Club.
Haroun's loan came after Irish coach Rodgers saw that his chances of participating with Al-Qadisiyah in the competitions in which the team competes would be limited, unlike his tourist colleague, who began to get opportunities to represent the team.
Haroun benefited from his move to Al-Ettifaq, as he performed well, scored a wonderful goal against Al-Ittihad in the league competitions, and showed distinguished skills during training and some of the matches in which he participated. As he reaches 20 years of age, the importance of this experience becomes apparent in giving him more experience, in preparation for his return to Al-Qadisiyah with greater competitive capabilities.
Demands to provide broader opportunities for Saudi players are not limited to followers, as a number of coaches, especially in medium-sized clubs and those that struggle annually for survival, had previously raised this issue during a meeting held nearly two seasons ago. Their demands focused on the importance of rotating players who do not find sufficient opportunities with their clubs, by facilitating their transfer to teams that need their services and can give them basic participation opportunities, thus raising the intensity of competition and enhancing the players’ development and potential for their emergence.
Some coaches cited the experience of Firas Al-Braikan, who moved from Al-Nasr to Al-Fateh, and succeeded in providing remarkable levels, before moving to Al-Ahly, to become one of the main options in the first Saudi national team.
The experience of goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi also stands out, who got the opportunity to start with Al-Fateh in the season before last, after he moved to him on loan from Al-Nassr during the winter registration period, before then returning to the Saudi national team.
The experiences of Al-Braikan and Al-Aqidi reflect the importance of the player getting regular minutes of participation, even if that requires moving to a club that is less popular, popular and prominent, or making concessions on the financial side, in exchange for maintaining his technical development and enhancing the chances of his international presence.
As the next winter transfer period approaches, attention is turning to the major clubs that include a large number of Saudi players, to determine the extent of their willingness to provide the opportunity for limited participation players to move to other clubs, whether on loan or transfer, which will give them more space to gain experience and return to competing for national team seats.
On Tuesday, Princess Al-Jawhara bint Saad bin Faisal Al Saud submitted her list to run for the presidency of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Tennis Federation for the 2026-2030 session, to enter the electoral competition against Muhammad Al-Meshal and Dr. Nasser Abdullah Mahdi, in a race that is expected to be decided during the electoral general assembly scheduled for November 30 of this year.
Princess Al-Jawhara's list includes 10 candidates, led by a presidential candidate, and Abdul Rahman Abdullah Al-Dayel as Vice President, along with eight candidates for membership in the Board of Directors, namely Abdul Rahman Al-Salama in the Paralympic specialization, Dr. Saad Al-Saqabi in the technical specialization, Dr. Omar Al-Saeed in the legal specialization, Dr. Saleh Al-Arifi in the administrative specialization, Nouf Al-Hamdi and Mishari Al-Harf in the financial specialization, and Abdul Rahman Al-Habi and engineer Noura Al-Mousa in the Technical specialization.
The list's strategy is based on expanding the base of tennis practice in the Kingdom, through developing stadiums and establishing new facilities in various regions, increasing the number of practitioners, and raising the level of local competitions, in addition to supporting professional opportunities for male and female players outside the Kingdom.
The list also aims to enhance the federation’s financial revenues by expanding partnerships with the private sector and attracting sponsorships, increasing the number of international tournaments hosted by the Kingdom, and benefiting from the growing public demand for tennis competitions, as well as developing the administrative and technical system through digital transformation.
Princess Al-Jawhara's entry into the electoral race comes in light of an expected competition with the lists of Muhammad Al-Mashal and Nasser Mahdi, which include diverse experiences and propose programs aimed at developing the game and expanding its spread.
Al-Mashal’s list includes eight candidates, led by the president, and Tawfiq Yahya Maafa as vice-president, while Mahdi’s list includes 11 candidates. Its strategy is based on four priorities, including expanding the base of practitioners, activating the role of clubs, developing coaches and talents, and raising the level of local and international competitions.
Reception of candidacy applications closes on Thursday, November 12, at 4 p.m., with the stage of examining the initial lists and conducting personal interviews starting from November 13 to 19, followed by the stages of appeals and announcing the final lists, leading to voting and holding the electoral general assembly on November 30.
The electoral regulations require that the head of the nominated list be proficient in the English language, and that each member’s experience must not be less than eight years, while the lists are subject to personal interviews that include criteria for strategic experience, governance, leadership, partnerships, sustainability, and innovation.
Within the framework of the electoral arrangements, the Saudi Tennis Federation announced the update of the list of member clubs in the General Assembly, which includes 37 clubs, which are: Al-Ibtisam, Al-Akhdood, Al-Ittifaq, Al-Itimad, Al-Bada’i, Al-Tahami, Al-Thaqbah, Al-Jubail, Al-Jazira, Al-Hareeq, Al-Hazm, Hattin, Al-Khuwailidiyah, Al-Dara’, Al-Sir, Al-Sarawat, Al-Salam, Al-Shabab, Al-Shorouk, Al-Safa, Al-Tarf, Al-Ula, Al-Omran, Al-Fath, Faid, Al-Fayhaa, Al-Faisaly, Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Qara, Kumit, Al-Muhit, Najd, Al-Nahda, Al-Hidaya, Al-Huda, Al-Hilal, and Al-Washm.
