• The program commits 49.9million SAR to support and develop Premier League and Women's First Division clubs (30+ clubs) to ensure the growth and sustainability of women's football in the Kingdom.
  • Women’s football is already experiencing impressive growth in the Kingdom with the number of women’s football clubs and players increasing by 30% in the past year.
  • Three levels of financial support: direct unconditional support, conditional financial support for mandatory criteria, and conditional financial support for elective criteria.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) today announced an unprecedented funding initiative and support system for women’s football clubs. This groundbreaking initiative is designed to further enhance the rapidly growing women’s football leagues and the wider sport in Saudi Arabia, ensuring its sustainability and development for years to come.

With a clear vision to inspire and nurture future generations of female footballers, SAFF's funding program will provide vital financial assistance to the Saudi Premier League and Women's First Division clubs.

To be eligible for this funding, clubs must have a SAFF membership and Nafes license* to actively participate in all women’s tournaments organized by the Federation. They must also meet the organizational and technical requirements issued by SAFF. Furthermore, clubs must demonstrate their financial adequacy and commitment to the financial efficiency system according to national standards. 

Under this ambitious program, SAFF will allocate 49.9 million SAR to women’s football programs across the country, supporting clubs and players to continue the impressive growth of the women’s game.

Commenting on this occasion, Lamia Bahaian, the newly elected Vice President of SAFF, said: “Today’s announcement is another monumental step for SAFF in our unwavering dedication to developing and sustaining a thriving women’s football presence in the Kingdom. We aim to inspire young girls that a career in football is not only feasible for them but promising. Women and girls are central to everything we do in sport, ensuring that we provide equal access to facilities, opportunities, and careers both on and off the pitch. This is made possible thanks to the tremendous support received from SAFF's management.”

She added: “A key motivation behind this program has stemmed from witnessing an incredible 30% growth in women’s football clubs and players across Saudi Arabia, not just the major cities, over the past year. The interest potential of women’s football is vast and we want to ensure we’re doing everything we can to support and sustain this growth.”

The program sets four key goals for participating clubs:

  1. Enhance club governance and sustainability through improved structure and strategy, in addition to financial and operational monitoring.
  2. Expand competitions and diversify teams to include an U-17 team and women’s futsal senior team.
  3. Create job opportunities and develop the workforce by appointing Saudi female coaches within the technical staff, and recruiting women in the administrative, technical, and medical positions.
  4. Cultivate athletes to represent national teams by signing professional contracts with Saudi female players and nurturing their development from the grassroots level to the senior team.

Mirroring much of the transformation happening across all areas in Saudi Arabia, the strong women’s football movement embodies SAFF’s long-term strategy and commitment to grow interest and inspire participation at all levels of women’s football. The Kingdom has made unprecedented investments in grassroots initiatives, player development, coaching, refereeing, and competitions, fueling much of the progress seen today.

In alignment with the Saudi Vision 2023, women's sports in the Kingdom have made remarkable progress, with over 190,000 females now actively participating in sports each week. Women's football, in particular, has witnessed substantial advancements, including the establishment of a dedicated women's football department in 2019, the creation of a national women's team, and the launch of the SAFF Women's Premier League.

Today, the Premier and First Division leagues feature 30+ clubs and 600+ players representing over 20 nationalities, forming a diverse and united force on the pitch. On an amateur level, almost 50,000 schoolgirls took part in the inaugural schools’ league across 4,700 teams from all corners of Saudi Arabia.

Off the pitch, over 49 female referees are officially registered and officiating league matches, with the first Saudi female referee – Anoud Al Asmari – breaking into FIFA’s prestigious licensed list. There are 1,080 additionally licensed coaches playing a significant role in nurturing young female talent across clubs, academies, schools, and training centers in different cities across the country.

More information about the initiative can be found on SAFF’s website: https://saff.com.sa/en/

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.