Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and more – a guide to the 2023-24 Saudi Pro League season

The Saudi Pro League kicks off this weekend and it’s fair to say there has never been wider global interest in football in the Gulf state.

The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) first made its mark on the football ecosystem in 2021, when it purchased 80 per cent of Newcastle United following a protracted saga with the Premier League.

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But PIF’s biggest impact on football may yet be from its takeover of four of Saudi Arabia’s biggest clubs in June. The announcement came via the country’s ministry of sport as part of the ‘Saudi Vision 2030’ project and stated that PIF would now control 75 per cent of Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad — four of the founding sides of the Saudi Pro League — with the other 25 per cent of those teams owned by non-profit organisations.

That injection of investment, coupled with the desire to become one of “the top 10 best leagues in the world”, has seen a host of big names swap Europe for Saudi Arabia this summer, with more potentially on the way.

We know that Cristiano Ronaldo is already there, and has been joined by the likes of Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez, but which other players have moved, and who is playing together?

Here’s our guide to the 2023-24 Saudi Pro League season, how you can watch it, team profiles and why controversy lingers…

Newly promoted First Division champions Al Ahli kick off the season on Friday, August 11, renewing rivalries against Al Hazem — whom they beat to the title by just four points — at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah.

But plenty of eyes will be on Dammam on Monday as Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr — runners-up last season — start against Steven Gerrard’s new Al Ettifaq side.

Friday, August 11 Al Ahli vs Al Hazem (7pm BST)

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