Sport Ministry Unveils Club Support Plan 2026-2027

The Ministry of Sport has launched the new edition of the Sport Clubs Support Strategy for the 2026–2027 sports season, marking the eighth year since the program was first introduced. The updated strategy is designed to strengthen the financial and administrative standing of clubs across the Kingdom.

The 2026–2027 edition is built around seven key initiatives: direct support, various sports, governance, fan attendance, facility development, digital transformation, and increasing commercial revenues. The model is performance-based, linking each club's funding to its institutional performance, governance quality, financial and administrative sustainability, sports diversification, fan engagement, facility standards, digital services, and commercial revenue growth.

Where the funding goes

Across the strategy's initiatives, SAR 953 million is allocated to direct support, SAR 517 million to the various sports initiative, and SAR 541 million to the governance program. The fan attendance initiative receives SAR 99 million, while the commercial revenue growth initiative is allocated SAR 54 million. Within the latter, Roshn League clubs receive SAR 1 million each and Yelo League clubs SAR 500,000 each for the 2026–2027 season.

Any club that meets all requirements of the strategy can receive total annual support of between SAR 100 million and SAR 120 million. For recent seasons, Pro League public clubs received around SAR 47 million annually and private clubs about SAR 45 million as direct support, while first division clubs received around SAR 6 million and second division public clubs about SAR 2.787 million.

Why it matters: since the strategy was first launched in 2019, Saudization in sports clubs has reached 73% as of 2026. The new edition keeps its focus on operational efficiency, better service quality, diversified revenue, and long-term sustainability for the sports sector. Applications and evaluations are handled directly through the Ministry of Sport and its internal platforms.

---

Stay updated with the latest news, events, sports updates, business insights, real estate and lifestyle stories on Saudi Living — the leading online platform for residents, expats, and visitors in Saudi Arabia.

Follow Saudi Living for daily updates:

• Instagram - @saudiliving
• X - @saudiliving
• Facebook - @saudiliving
• YouTube - @saudiliving