Al Nassr sporting director and former Real Madrid captain Fernando Hierro believes Saudi Arabia’s football evolution is not only here to stay but ready to lead a new era for the global game.
Speaking at the Sports Investment Forum in Riyadh – as part of a panel titled Developing the Market Value of Sports Club – alongside Al Hilal CEO Esteve Calzada, Hierro said the Saudi Pro League is not only attracting global stars, but commanding worldwide attention, helping to transform the SPL from a buyer’s league into an exporter of talent to rival the world’s best.
“This league is calling the world,” Hierro said. “It’s not just Saudi clubs going abroad to find players, now European scouts are coming here, looking for Saudi talent. That tells you something.”
Hierro, who was one of the first major international players to join Qatar’s league more than 20 years ago, said the evolution taking place in Saudi has been extraordinary.
“This project is just two years old. And yet look at the infrastructure, the global reach, the talent,” he said. “There’s already so much work behind it. It’s only just beginning.”
The former defender, who spent 14 years at Real Madrid and made 89 appearances for Spain, highlighted Al Nassr’s new approach to recruitment as proof of their change in strategy.
The club, which helped kick-start the Saudi football transformation by signing Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in December 2022, have focused more on signing younger talents this season, with an average age of 23.6 years.
The strategy reflects a wider change in the SPL, where this season the average age of players signed was 24.9, down from 25.4 in 2023/24.
“We’ve signed five players under 25, including Brazilian international Bento, teenagers Angelo and Wesley, and Jhon Duran who is only 21,” Hierro said. “We’re not just buying, we’re creating value. Saudi clubs can become exporters, too.”
From local power to global brand
Calzada, CEO of Al Hilal and former chief commercial officer of City Football Group, echoed Hierro’s sentiment, saying the SPL is perfectly placed to grow into a global football powerhouse.
“Al Hilal have been very successful domestically, but now it’s time to go global,” Calzada said. “If we want international fans and sponsors, we need to ensure maximum distribution of our product.”
Broadcasting is the key area of growth, Calzada explained, with SPL matches now available in 200 countries. “We’ve already monetised the key assets – shirt deals, LED boards – so now we must evolve. The focus is digital and social, reaching younger fans where they are.”
Calzada said clubs like Al Hilal are already reaping the benefits of football’s global pull. The club made international headlines with the league record signing of Neymar last summer, and while the Brazilian has moved on after an injury-disrupted 18 months, the Riyadh giants remain Saudi Arabia’s most recognisable club, both locally and abroad.
“This is the most popular sport in the kingdom, and Al Hilal is the most popular team,” he added. “If you want to reach the Saudi consumer, there is no better channel [than football].”
Club World Cup and the road to 2034
With Saudi Arabia set to host the 2034 Fifa World Cup and Al Hilal confirmed as the kingdom’s sole representative at the expanded 32-team Fifa Club World Cup in the United States this summer, the spotlight on Saudi football is only intensifying.
Al Hilal will open their tournament against Real Madrid in Miami before matches against Mexican side Pachuca and perennial Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg.
The tournament is therefore a prime opportunity for Hilal to showcase both the quality of Saudi football and boost their own profile.
“The Club World Cup is an extraordinary opportunity for Al Hilal to showcase our brand on the global stage,” said Calzada.
“It’s the first edition in this new format, and we’ll be competing against some of the best clubs in the world in front of massive global audiences. It’s a moment of pride for the club and for the league.”
Calzada emphasised the importance of performing well in the tournament to reinforce the SPL’s international ambitions. “It’s not just about being there, it’s about showing that Saudi clubs can compete at the highest level. We want to prove we belong.”
Facilities were also a recurring theme in the panel. “For me, the development of youth players starts with three things,” said Hierro. “Good facilities, quality coaching, and strong competition. But above all, facilities matter.”
With 48 teams arriving in the kingdom for the 2034 World Cup, he insisted – and expects – that the training infrastructure must be world-class. “Each nation will need their own base. We must show the world that we’re ready, not just to host, but to lead.”
Calzada agreed, pointing to the Kingdom Arena, Al Hilal’s current temporary home, as an example of how infrastructure supports growth. “It’s the biggest indoor grass football stadium in the world. We don’t own it, but tactically, it’s ours and it’s helping us build a fan base and create a world-class experience.”
Held under the banner of “Investing in the Future of Sport,” the Sports Investment Forum had over 3,000 attendees and featured leaders from global leagues, clubs, and agencies. The forum highlighted how Saudi Arabia’s sports sector is now surging with private investment, global partnerships, and international acclaim.
According to official figures, the number of registered sports organisations and private clubs in the kingdom has more than doubled in recent years, supported by a strategic plan to increase private sector contribution to 25 per cent of the sports economy.
Deloitte Middle East Partner Robin Butteriss believes Saudi football’s financial trajectory is only heading one way: up. “The current SPL broadcast deal is worth around $80 million a year,” Butteriss said. “By 2030, I expect that to at least double – perhaps even triple – as international distribution improves.”
The specs: Hyundai Ionic Hybrid
Price, base: Dh117,000 (estimate)
Engine: 1.6L four-cylinder, with 1.56kWh battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 105hp (engine), plus 43.5hp (battery)
Torque: 147Nm (engine), plus 170Nm (battery)
Fuel economy, combined: 3.4L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Andor
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday
AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)
Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)
Benevento v Parma (5pm)
Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)
Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)
Lazio v Spezia (5pm)
Napoli v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)
Torino v Juventus (8pm)
Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)
Checks continue
A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.
Company%20Profile
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Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
2.30pm: Expo 2020 Dubai – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Barakka, Ray Dawson (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
3.05pm: Now Or Never – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: One Idea, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.40pm: This Is Our Time – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Perfect Balance, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Visit Expo 2020 – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Kaheall, Richard Mullen, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.50pm: The World In One Place – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1.900m; Winner: Castlebar, Adrie de Vries, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm: Vision – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Al Wasl Plaza – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Jadwal, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Disposing of non-recycleable masks
Use your ‘black bag’ bin at home
Do not put them in a recycling bin
Take them home with you if there is no litter bin
- No need to bag the mask
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
Napoleon
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Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
The studios taking part (so far)
- Punch
- Vogue Fitness
- Sweat
- Bodytree Studio
- The Hot House
- The Room
- Inspire Sports (Ladies Only)
- Cryo
GROUP RESULTS
Group A
Results
Ireland beat UAE by 226 runs
West Indies beat Netherlands by 54 runs
Group B
Results
Zimbabwe tied with Scotland
Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
Score
Third Test, Day 2
New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)
Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Poland Statement
All people fleeing from Ukraine before the armed conflict are allowed to enter Poland. Our country shelters every person whose life is in danger - regardless of their nationality.
The dominant group of refugees in Poland are citizens of Ukraine, but among the people checked by the Border Guard are also citizens of the USA, Nigeria, India, Georgia and other countries.
All persons admitted to Poland are verified by the Border Guard. In relation to those who are in doubt, e.g. do not have documents, Border Guard officers apply appropriate checking procedures.
No person who has received refuge in Poland will be sent back to a country torn by war.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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FULL%20FIGHT%20CARD
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
