Doha, Qatar: The Saudi Arabian Football Association (SAFF) has entered a new agreement with the Ecuadorian Football Federation (EFF) with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Doha today.

As the first agreement of its type to be signed between SAFF and a CONMEBOL Member Association, the MoU represents a new chapter for Saudi Arabia’s football ties with the South American region.

The partnership aims to advance both federations’ shared goals and objectives to grow football on pitch and off in their respective countries. It addresses a wide variety of areas including, but not limited to, talent identification, refereeing, coaching, technical development, governance, women’s football and sports science.

SAFF president Yasser Almisehal and EFF counterpart Francisco Egas signed the official agreement at a signing ceremony held at Saudi House, Saudi football’s dedicated home on Doha’s corniche.

Ahead of both countries’ FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 campaigns, Saudi Arabia and Ecuador faced off in a friendly match in Murcia’s Estadio Nueva Condomina in June that ended in a 0-0 draw.

In recent years, SAFF put pen to paper to over 20 similar agreements with other federations across the globe, including the likes of Croatia, India, Singapore and Ivory Coast, as the country progresses its footballing ambitions and strengthens partnerships across the world.

“We are delighted to signal a new era of partnership between us and our good friends at the Ecuadorian Football Federation. Ecuadorian football resonates with fans across the globe as the country has produced numerous football stars in recent years and consistently qualified to the FIFA World Cup,” said Al Misehal.

He added: “Today’s agreement forms as part of our strong efforts at SAFF to grow our positive influence and collaboration with all regions and members associations. We are confident this MoU will build on our existing relationship with the EFF and bring focus and structure to it moving forward. There are plenty of opportunities for us to learn from each other and collaborate on to benefit the beautiful game across our football-passionate countries.”

Earlier last month, Al Misehal joined the opening ceremony of CONMEBOL's dedicated FIFA World Cup pavilion –Tree of Dreams – in Doha, representing another sign of the strong ties between Saudi Arabia and the South American governing body and its member associations.

For more information about Saudi football, you can visit the SAFF website: SAFF.com.sa/en/index.php.

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ABOUT THE SAUDI ARABIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION (SAFF)

Established in 1956, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) is a member of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the governing body for football in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia responsible for overseeing grassroots development and all aspects of the amateur and professional game.

SAFF is in charge of elevating Saudi football to new heights, offering new opportunities across the ecosystem and inspiring the nation to participate and become an influential force for good within world football. SAFF currently administers 17 competitions for a total of 600+ teams across various age groups, most notably the annual King’s Cup and Saudi Super Cup.

SAFF manages nine national teams ranging from the U-15 age group all the way to the first team, all of which compete in 23 regional and international competitions. As part of its significant investment in women’s football, it recently established the first women’s national team and league. It is responsible for the development and upskilling of over 3,000 national coaches and 1,700 referees across the Kingdom.