The Saudi Pro League has entered a new phase of cautious spending following a lavish period that saw some of football's biggest names, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, brought to the league.
After an astonishing $957 million in transfer expenditures in 2023, spending has dramatically decreased to just $431 million in the latest transfer window.
Despite the star power that players like Ronaldo and N'Golo Kante have brought to the league, the number of new signings has been modest this season. The most notable addition is Brentford’s Ivan Toney, who joined Al Ahli, reflecting a shift in priorities within the league.
In 2023, the Saudi Pro League ranked as the second-largest spender globally, just behind the English Premier League. However, it has now dropped to sixth place, trailing behind the top five European competitions it aims to rival. Analysts suggest that Saudi officials are reevaluating the commercial returns of their previous expenditures as the country's ambitious economic modernization efforts face budgetary constraints.
James Dorsey, a senior fellow at the National University of Singapore's Middle East Institute, remarked, "They put themselves on the map last year. It's now a question of how do you sustain that?" Comparisons have been drawn between Saudi Arabia's football project and the former Chinese Super League, which also saw exorbitant spending before experiencing financial setbacks.
With Saudi Arabia set to host the 2034 World Cup, the league may still pursue strategic acquisitions, although experts believe the lavish signings of 2023 are unlikely to be a regular occurrence. Simon Chadwick, professor of sport and geopolitical economy at France's SKEMA Business School, noted that there are "more considered and strategic ways" to tackle talent acquisition challenges.
The decrease in spending aligns with broader economic trends affecting Saudi Arabia’s major infrastructure projects under the Vision 2030 plan, as the government reassesses spending amidst global economic uncertainties. The Public Investment Fund has also taken measures to assess financial viability, including issuing bonds to fund ongoing projects.
As football globally experiences a decline in transfer fees—down 13% this summer—analysts note that a "wind of austerity is blowing through football." Mohamed Mandour, a journalist at Sportsdata, highlighted that the Saudi Pro League's current strategy reflects a more realistic approach to spending, focusing on attracting sponsors and resources from outside the country.
An official from the Saudi Professional League, speaking anonymously, emphasized that the league's spending decisions illustrate its maturity and commitment to improving the technical quality of its teams. "Who says we have to sign a big player every summer?" they stated, indicating a shift in focus from marquee signings to sustainable growth.
