The Serbian duo, Sergej Savic, and the Frenchman, Theo Hernandez, Al Hilal players, participated in the first part of the team’s training that was held this evening, before continuing their qualifying programs.
In a related context, the Moroccan trio, Yassine Bounou, the Portuguese Ruben Neves, and the Senegalese Khalidou Koulibaly, performed recovery exercises after arriving in Riyadh following the end of their participation with their teams during the international break.
Al-Zaeem is raising the pace of his preparations before the expected confrontation that will bring him together with Al-Ittihad in the “Saudi Classico”, next Friday, as part of the eighth round matches in the Saudi Professional League.
The Saudi Professional League Association, through its regular general assembly for the 2025-2026 season, reviewed the most prominent indicators of the development of the Saudi League and the achievements of the 2025-2026 season, which demonstrated the continued growth of the league athletically, commercially and medially, and the expansion of its presence locally and internationally.
According to the numbers, during the 2025-2026 season, total returns grew by 11.5 percent, compared to the 2024-2025 season, after recording a growth of 12.45 percent in the 2024-2025 season compared to the 2023-2024 season.
The total live broadcast views reached 198 million during the 2025-2026 season, a growth of 52 percent compared to the previous season.
On social media platforms, the number of the league’s followers reached 23 million followers by the end of the 2025-2026 season, a growth of 44 percent compared to the previous season.
The market value of the Saudi League reached 4.6 billion riyals, coinciding with the continued development of the technical and competitive level of the league.
The Saudi League continued to lead the classification of Asian leagues according to the AFC, while it became the sixth most represented league in the world in the 2026 World Cup.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Professional League Association, Eng. Abdulaziz Al-Afaleq, said: “The results reviewed by the General Assembly reflect the extent of development witnessed by the Saudi Roshen League, and the integrated work between the clubs, the association, and our partners in various aspects of the system. What was achieved during the past seasons represents an important foundation for the next stage, and our ambition is to continue raising the level of competition, strengthening the league’s position regionally and globally, and building a more sustainable and valuable system for clubs, fans and Saudi football.”
The 2025-2026 season also witnessed the expansion of the league’s global distribution network, with the signing of new agreements with international broadcasters, bringing the number of broadcast partners to more than 40 around the world.
On the digital level, the league continued to enhance its presence through 19 accounts, 11 platforms, and in 4 languages. While views of the League’s YouTube channel content, excluding live broadcasts, increased by 255 percent during the season, 82 percent of which came from outside the Kingdom.
The season also witnessed continued work on developing the clubs’ capabilities and raising the efficiency of the system, as all the league clubs succeeded, for the first time, in obtaining the local and Asian licenses, after joint work that included more than 120 visits and workshops to support the clubs in meeting the licensing requirements.
The Association also continued to develop the organizational and financial frameworks for the competition, in a way that supports the clubs’ sustainability and raises work efficiency, in addition to announcing the mechanism for distributing the performance-related recruitment program allocations, with the aim of rewarding excellence and stimulating development.
The CEO of the Saudi Professional League said: “The numbers achieved by the league reflect tangible growth in a number of key indicators, from viewership and digital presence, to sponsorship, broadcast rights, and international expansion. Our focus in the next phase is to build on this growth and transform it into sustainable value for the clubs, by developing their capabilities, enhancing their commercial opportunities, and raising work efficiency, while continuing to improve the product and the fans’ experience and raise the level of competition.”
After discussing the topics on the agenda, the Assembly approved the activity report and estimated budget, and approved the audited financial reports and statements and their explanations for the periods presented, after reviewing the reports of the independent financial auditor.
It also agreed, based on the proposal of the Board of Directors, to reappoint the members of the Audit Committee, headed by Adel Malawi, and with Lamia Al-Rasheed and Omar Al-Shanqeeti as independent members.
The association confirmed that the indicators reviewed by the General Assembly reflect the growth path achieved by the Saudi League during the past seasons, and that work will continue in partnership with the clubs to raise the level of competition, enhance sustainability, develop the commercial and media value of the league, and expand its presence locally and globally.
Asharq Al-Awsat learned, from informed sources, that Al-Nasr Club did not participate in voting on the decisions presented during the General Assembly meeting of the Saudi Professional League Association, which was held on Tuesday in Jeddah, in the association’s first meeting in more than two years.
According to the sources, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Nasr and the CEO were absent from the meeting, while the club did not nominate any of them or an authorized representative to participate in the vote, and the club’s media official, Saeed Abu Dahesh, was present, as the association’s regulations do not grant him the right to vote in the General Assembly.
The representative of Al-Koloud Club was also absent from the meeting, while the CEOs of Al-Hilal, Al-Ahly and Al-Ittihad clubs participated, along with representatives of the rest of the professional league clubs.
The General Assembly discussed a number of files on the agenda, which included the association’s work during the past period, financial and administrative issues, as well as decisions and proposals presented to members for voting.
The work of the Ordinary General Assembly, in accordance with the Association’s statute, includes reviewing the Association’s activity report since the previous meeting, reviewing the financial statements and the profit and loss statement, approving the financial report and approving the annual budget, in addition to discussing the proposals submitted by the members of the Association and the Association’s Board of Directors, and appointing the independent financial auditor.
Tuesday's meeting represents the return of the Association's General Assembly to session after an absence of more than two years, as the previous meeting was held on September 29, 2024.
Following the meeting, the members of the General Assembly are scheduled to attend the final of the Arabian Gulf Cup (Gulf 27), which brings together the Saudi national team and its Emirati counterpart, on Tuesday evening, at Al-Enmaa Stadium in Jeddah.
