World

Saudi Pro League interim CEO reveals Kingdom’s transformative football strategy

Saudi Arabia has continuously made international headlines and shocked global sports fans over the past year as it began implementing a new strategy to transform its football scene.

From acquiring football legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to announcing the Public Investment Fund’s acquisition of four major Saudi clubs, the Kingdom is quickly moving toward its goals of becoming the base of one of the world’s top 10 football leagues.

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In a media statement, Saudi Pro League Interim CEO Saad al-Lazeez revealed details of Saudi Arabia’s plan to increase clubs’ competitiveness, create long-term growth in the sports sector, and become a global player in the football world.

“The Saudi Pro League has an incredible opportunity to help fulfill the country’s football ambitions and inspire more of its population to get into sport. The Saudi Pro League (SPL) will take a central, elevated role in supporting and developing clubs,” the interim CEO said.

Support young Saudi talent

The first part of the SPL’s strategy is to enhance its commitment to youth development and support Saudi talent, al-Lazeez revealed.

“From next season, the SPL will become younger and more competitive, taking advantage of the groundwork the Saudi Arabian Football Federation has been putting in at the grassroots for many years,” he said.

More than 80 percent of Saudi Arabia’s population either play, attend, or follow football, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) previously reported.

Fans of Saudi Arabia waits on the stands ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group C football match between Poland and Saudi Arabia at the Education City Stadium in Al-Rayyan, west of Doha on November 26, 2022. (File photo: AFP)

Mass participation in sports by both men and women rose from 13 percent in 2015 to almost 50 percent in 2022, according to SPA.

“One of the things that we are also doing to emphasize and improve the quality and competitiveness of the league is to make the league younger,” he said.

“This has more to it than simply bringing world class players and talent there or spending big amounts of money on those players.”

According to the SPL’s newly outlined strategy, the age limit for clubs has been reduced from 18 years old to 16 years old. For the 2025-2026 season, 10 out of 35 squad members must be under 21 years old. Clubs will also be required to have several home-grown players from academies within the Kingdom.

Younger players 🤝 More youth in squads#SPLStrategy pic.twitter.com/hzMgeBGlyR

— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) July 18, 2023

The competitiveness will push young Saudis to prove themselves to join the clubs and “keep up with the likes of Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo,” al-Lazeez said.

Develop the PACE Program

The SPL also launched the Player Acquisition Center of Excellence (PACE) Program – led by the new Director of Football Michael Emenalo – to connect rising young Saudi talent with international footballers and role models.

Currently, the SPL has players from over 40 different countries and has seen attendance increase by nearly 150 percent in the last year alone.

Emenalo is the former director of football at Chelsea F.C. and AS Monaco F.C. and helped transform the clubs into what they are today.

"The Saudi Pro League offers an opportunity for the entire industry" ⚽️
First words from our new Director of Football, Michael Emenalo 🎙️#SPLStrategy pic.twitter.com/zoJv2SbSK3

— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) July 18, 2023

Clubs will actively work with the director of football through a step-by-step process for foreign player acquisition that includes squad mapping, player care, budget allocations, negotiations, and transactions.

“Michael is the perfect man for the job. He has the ideal pedigree, the knowledge, the experience, the coaching qualifications, and contacts to drive value and success for the overall league through this ambitious project,” the interim CEO said.

The potential to drive international talent to Saudi Arabia is vast and a central function providing control and strong governance will ensure the Kingdom’s investments are smart and benefit everyone in the league moving forward, according to al-Lazeez.

Welcome ceremony for Karim Benzema after joining Al-Ittihad - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)

Welcome ceremony for Karim Benzema after joining Al-Ittihad – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)

The steps taken through PACE are part of a bigger plan and future strategy to improve the league, he said, adding that the program would make the SPL a world-class experience and product that engages globally and is competitive and sustainable in the long term as one of the best leagues in the world.

“This will be good for all football, good for all players, and good for all fans.”

Launch of a Club Development Framework

Al-Lazeez also announced the launch of a specialized unit that will help improve club operations and technical expertise by applying the highest standards of operations, increasing financial and operational efficiencies, assessing their progress on development, and ensuring global practices are applied.

“This strategy has been years in the making and has involved a lot of global footballing expertise to make the most of this unprecedented opportunity for growth,” he said.

“It goes far beyond and much deeper than the player transfers that are dominating headlines and focuses just as much on what happens off the pitch at the clubs. We are looking to the long-term and will be judged on that, especially with helping the clubs become commercially successful with robust business models. The Club Development Program will also activate the fair play financial system and monitor compliance with local and Asian licensing standards. We look forward to rolling out the full strategy in coming months.”

‘Tactics for Tomorrow’

The new SPL strategy builds upon the initiative launched by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation in 2021 under the slogan “Tactics for Tomorrow,” which has since witnessed mass investment in resources.

Since 2021, funding for Saudi youth football has increased by 162 percent and 23 regional training centers were established.

The number of registered male players has increased by 58 percent, while the number of coaches rose from 750 in 2018 to over 5,500 in 2023 – of which over 1000 are female coaches.

Saudi Arabia's players pose for a group picture ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group C football match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, north of Doha on November 22, 2022. (File photo: AFP)

“At the last FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Saudi Arabia gave a glimpse of what we are capable of at international level and demonstrated the quality of our domestic league, the SPL. The future is bright. And a lot of good thinking has gone into advancing football in Saudi Arabia, [for both] men and women,” Saudi Arabian Football Federation President Yasser al-Misehal said.

Acquisition of sports clubs is a testament to the growth of the Saudi sports sector

Ivory Coast midfielder Fofana joins Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr

Original Article

World

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

World

At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

World

US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM