US-Led Group Prequalified in Saudi Club Privatization

A US-led investor consortium has been prequalified to take part in Saudi Arabia's program to privatize five football clubs, marking a fresh step in the Kingdom's push to bring private capital into the sports sector. The group secured a Notice of Pre-Qualification from the Ministry of Sport and the National Center for Privatization & PPP (NCP).

The consortium reached this stage after submitting a Statement of Qualification in response to a Request for Qualification issued on 8 June 2026. To pass, applicants had to satisfy Stage 1 organizational and legal criteria and achieve a qualifying score in the Stage 2 technical and financial evaluation, which required a minimum of SAR 35 million in available funding.

With prequalification complete, the group now advances to the Request for Proposals (RFP) stage, expected to be issued by the Ministry of Sport and the NCP before 31 August 2026. Prequalification requests for the 2026 phase must be submitted by 5 July 2026 through the official NCP "Investors Portal."

Which clubs are involved

The current privatization wave covers five clubs: Al-Riyadh, Abha, Al-Fateh, Al-Tai and Al-Shoulla. All are open to both local and international investors under the Sports Clubs Investment & Privatization Project. The typical process moves from an Expression of Interest to a Request for Qualification and Statement of Qualification, then to a Notice of Pre-Qualification, and finally to submitting a binding proposal at the RFP stage.

The project is part of رؤية السعودية 2030 goals to expand private sector participation in sport, raise professional and administrative standards, and strengthen the financial governance and infrastructure of clubs. For residents and fans, greater private investment could mean better-run clubs, improved facilities and a more competitive local league in the years ahead.

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