Sport Ministry Unveils 2026-2027 Club Support Plan
The Ministry of Sport has launched its Sport Clubs Support Strategy for the 2026–2027 season, marking the eighth edition of a program designed to help Saudi clubs move away from heavy reliance on government subsidies and toward becoming financially and administratively sustainable institutions.
The new strategy is built around seven key initiatives: direct support, multi-sports development, governance, fan attendance, facility development, digital transformation, and increasing commercial revenues. Support is allocated through a performance-based model, tying funding to institutional performance, governance compliance, engagement in sports beyond football, matchday experience quality, and revenue diversification.
Indicative financial allocations for the season include SAR 953 million for direct support, SAR 517 million for the multi-sports initiative, and SAR 541 million for the governance program, in which 103 clubs are participating. A further SAR 99 million is allocated to fan attendance, while the commercial revenue growth initiative totals SAR 54 million, providing SAR 1,000,000 000
Clubs that meet all of the strategy's requirements can qualify for total annual support ranging from SAR 100 million to SAR 120 million each. The commercial revenue initiative is a newly enhanced component aimed at helping clubs grow self-generated income and build stronger investment models.
Why it matters
Since the support strategy first launched in 2019, sports clubs across the Kingdom have reached 73% Saudization of their workforce. For residents and fans, the strategy signals continued investment in stronger clubs, better facilities, and an improved matchday experience, while pushing clubs toward long-term commercial independence.
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