Saudi Pro League

Roshn Saudi League

Organising body	Saudi Arabian Football Federation
Founded	1956;69 years ago (1956) 1956–1974 (as His Majesty's League) 1974–1975 (as the Saudi Categorization League) 1975–2007 (as the Saudi Premier League) 2008–present (as the Saudi Pro League)
Country	Saudi Arabia
Confederation	AFC
Number of clubs	18 (since 2023–24)
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Saudi First Division League
Domestic cup(s)	King's Cup Saudi Super Cup
International cup(s)	AFC Champions League Elite AFC Champions League Two [a] Gulf Club Champions League Arab Club Champions Cup
Current champions	Al-Ittihad (10th title) (2024–25)
Most championships	Al-Hilal (19 titles)
Most appearances	Mohamed Al-Deayea (406)
Top goalscorer	Majed Abdullah (189)
Broadcaster(s)	Thmanyah
Sponsor(s)	Roshn
Website	spl.com.sa
Current: 2025–26 Saudi Pro League

The Saudi Pro League (SPL), ^[b] also known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) ^[c] for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Saudi Arabia and the highest level of the Saudi football league system. The SPL is regarded as the premier football league in Asia, having the highest ranking among AFC club competitions.

The origins of the Saudi top division league trace back to the establishment of the His Majesty's League in 1956, which lasted until 1974. It was succeeded by a single transitional season known as the 1974–75 Saudi Categorization League. Following that, the first official season of the Saudi Premier League the 1976–77 season. ^[1] The league operated as a round-robin tournament from its inaugural season until the 1989–90 season. After that, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation decided to merge the football league with the King's Cup into one tournament, adding the Golden Box. The Golden Box was an end-of-season knockout competition played between the top four teams of the regular league season. These teams would compete in a semi-final stage to crown the champions of Saudi Arabia. The league reverted to a round-robin system in the 2007–08 season and was rebranded as the Saudi Pro League in 2008. While the Saudi Pro League is an evolution of the earlier Saudi top division league formats, its statistics and records are maintained separately, in a manner similar to how the English Premier League is treated as distinct from the former Football League First Division.

Al-Hilal is the most successful club in Saudi football history, amassing a record 19 titles, with their latest triumph in the 2023–24 season. Other prominent clubs, such as Al-Shabab, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Nassr, have contributed significantly to the league's history. Since 2023, the SPL has achieved greater global recognition, fueled by strategic developments under the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative. The nation's Public Investment Fund acquired 75% stakes in four foundational clubs—Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, and Al-Nassr, investing large amounts of money to bring players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema to the league. These efforts have increased the prominence of the SPL in world football. ^{[2] [3]}

History

Up until the late 1950s, football in Saudi Arabia was organized on a regional basis under the Saudi Regional Leagues, with the King's Cup being the only nationwide tournament. In 1957, the first qualification process consolidated the regional tournaments of the Central, West, East, and North regions. Clubs competed in their regional leagues to qualify for the King's Cup, which was the final stage of the competition. The winner of the King's Cup was not the league winner. ^[4]

In 1974, a one-time league was founded to end the regional leagues and decide which clubs would play in the upcoming Premier and first division leagues, the league was the Categorization League, 1976–77 season saw the start of the first-ever Premier League in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with eight teams, the following season the number of clubs increased to ten. The 1981–82 season saw the merger of both the Saudi Premier League and the Saudi First Division for that season exclusively to the concern of the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification process. Twenty teams were divided into two groups, A and B. The top two in each group would enter a semi-final stage to determine the overall champions. In the following season which reverted to regular round-robin competition, the number of first-division clubs was later increased to 12 in the 1984–85 season.^{[ citation needed ]}

In December 1990, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation decided to merge the league with the King's Cup in one tournament, it was decided to revamp local competitions and introduce professional football. A new league championship was formed called "The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques League Cup", which was a two-stage championship. The first stage was a regular double round-robin league competition with the top 4 qualifying for the final knockout stage, called the golden box. Clubs were allowed to sign players on a professional basis making the league semi-professional. This system lasted for seventeen seasons before reverting to a regular round-robin competition. The league became fully professional in 2007.

As of 2024, depending on the nation's coefficient, three teams from Saudi Arabia qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite annually. This includes the top three positions of the league, the winner of the King's Cup qualify for the AFC Champions League Two. If the winner of the King's Cup is also among the top three teams then the fourth-best team qualifies for the AFC Champions League Two.

Saudi football revolution (2023–)

Cristiano Ronaldo with Al Nassr in 2023

The Saudi Pro League made international headlines in 2023 due to many players from other leagues, particularly those in Europe, transferring to clubs for the 2023–24 season. A record-breaking transfer window took place ahead of the 2023–24 season; Saudi Pro League clubs spent close to $1 billion, acquiring 94 overseas players from Europe’s major leagues. These leagues include France’s Ligue 1, Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A, Germany’s Bundesliga and the English Premier League, according to Deloitte. ^[5] According to Spanish publication Marca the league has "shaken up the European transfer market". ^[6]

The nation's Public Investment Fund took 75% stakes in four founding members (Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, and Al-Nassr) in June 2023 as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 program. ^[7] These actions have been criticised by many sporting journalists and human rights activists, who have described the transfers as part of a sportswashing scheme by the Saudi government. ^{[8] [9]} In response to these allegations, several Saudi journalists and commentators have defended the Public Investment Fund's involvement in Saudi football, arguing that it represents a strategic move to elevate the sport and diversify the national economy in line with Vision 2030. ^[10]

Cristiano Ronaldo was the first star signing to the league, with the BBC deeming that he led this "revolution" in Asian football. ^[11] Upon his move to Al-Hilal, Neymar also credited Ronaldo for the immediate transformation of the league. ^[12] Other players who joined the league include Ballon d'Or-holder Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kanté, Roberto Firmino, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Sadio Mané, Riyad Mahrez and Jordan Henderson. ^{[8] [13]}

Sponsorship

Period	Sponsor	Brand
1956–1974	No sponsor	His Majesty's League [14]
1974–1975	No sponsor	Saudi Categorization League
1975–2007	No sponsor	Saudi Premier League
2008–2008	No sponsor	Saudi Pro League
2009–2013	Zain	Zain Pro League
2014–2017	Abdul Latif Jameel	Abdul Latif Jameel Pro League [15]
2018–2021	No sponsor	Saudi Pro League [16]
2022–present	Roshn	Roshn Saudi League [17]

Official match ball suppliers

Season(s)	Supplier	Ball Model / Notes
–2023–24 (Jan)	Nike	Nike match balls used in all prior seasons until Adidas takeover in Feb 2024 [18]
2023–24 (from Feb)	Adidas	Oceaunz – introduced mid-season following Adidas' partnership launch [18]
2024–25	Adidas	Custom design inspired by wild lavender fields and Saudi tapestries [19]
2025–26	Adidas	TBA – expected to maintain cultural and sustainability themes

Competition format

Competition

As of the 2024–25 Season

There are 18 clubs in the Saudi Pro League. During the course of a season (usually from August to May), each club plays every other club twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at their opponent’s, for a total of 34 games. Teams receive three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. Teams are ranked on the league table based on points first, then head-to-head record in case of a tie, followed by goal difference.

Each club is allowed a maximum of 25 players, including up to 10 foreign players. Of these 10 foreign players, 8 can be of any age, and 2 must be under 20 years old at the time of signing. The remaining 15 players must be Saudi nationals, with a maximum of 5 players allowed to come from the youth sector if needed or wanted.

For each league game, managers can select up to 8 foreign players to be included in the matchday squad.

Promotion and relegation

A system of promotion and relegation exists between the Saudi Pro League and Saudi First Division League. The three lowest-placed teams in the Saudi Pro League are relegated to the First Division, in the first division the top two teams are promoted to the Pro League directly, a play-off system ^[20] to determine the third team to be promoted alongside the two. Teams placed between third and sixth position take part in the promotion play-offs. The fifth-placed would face the fourth, while the sixth-placed team would face the third. The final would be single-legged, hosted by the higher-placed team.

Format history

League Format (1974–2007)

In 1974–75, the Saudi football league was known as the Categorization League. This league was introduced to replace the previously existing regional leagues and to determine which teams would play in the Premier League and which would compete in the First Division. The Categorization League had 16 teams, divided into two groups. Only two teams from each group advanced to a decisive final match to determine the champion.

From 1975–76, the league transitioned to a round-robin format during the regular season, where each team played home and away matches against all other teams. The league typically operated with 10 to 12 teams during this period, though the number of teams fluctuated slightly from season to season.

In 1981–82, the league underwent a significant change: it was merged with the First Division to create a single 20-team league for that season. This merger was driven by concerns over World Cup qualifying, as Saudi Arabia sought to strengthen its domestic competition and provide more opportunities for players to develop ahead of international fixtures. After this one-off expansion, the league returned to its usual structure with 10 to 12 teams.

In December 1990, the Saudi Football Federation decided to merge the Saudi Premier League with the King's Cup competition into a unified single tournament. This merger led to the introduction of the playoff system (locally known as the "Golden Box" or "Golden Four"), which would feature the top 4 teams of the regular league season competing in a knockout competition to determine the overall champion. The playoff system served as an end-of-season competition, adding an extra layer of excitement to the league.

In the 1991–92 season, the Saudi Premier League formally implemented the playoff system. The league still used the round-robin format during the regular season, but after that, the top 4 teams advanced to the playoffs, which were held to determine the champion. The playoff system meant that even if a team finished first in the regular season, they still had to win the knockout rounds (including semi-finals and final) to be crowned champion.

League Format (2007–Present)

In 2006–07, the playoff system was still in use, with the top 4 teams advancing to knockout rounds to decide the champion. Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal finished at the top of the table, but the playoff system decided the final winner. This was the last season the playoff system was used.

In 2007–08, the league switched to the traditional format, where the team finishing first in the regular season was crowned champion, and the playoffs were abolished. This system continued in the Saudi Pro League from 2008–09 onward. Al-Hilal won the title in 2007–08 after finishing tied with Al-Ittihad on 48 points. The title was decided by the head-to-head record, where Al-Hilal had the better result against Al-Ittihad.

In 2008–09, the league was rebranded as the Saudi Pro League ^[21] (SPL). This rebranding formalized the shift to a traditional system where the top team in the regular season is crowned champion, and the playoffs were abolished. The rebranding also meant that the statistics and titles from the Saudi Premier League (1974–2007) were considered separate from those of the newly established Saudi Pro League. This mirrors the situation in the English Premier League (established in 1992), where records and titles are kept separate from the former Football League First Division.

Following the rebranding, the league underwent significant changes. From 2010–11 to 2017–18, the league expanded to 14 teams, continuing with the round-robin format. Then, from 2018–19 to 2022–23, the league grew again to 16 teams. Finally, in the 2023–24 season, the Saudi Pro League expanded to 18 teams.

Current clubs

Al-Ahli
Al-Ittihad

Al-Ettifaq

Al-Fateh

Al-Fayha

Al-Hilal
Al-Nassr
Al-Riyadh
Al-Shabab

Al-Khaleej

Al-Kholood

Al-Okhdood

Al-Orobah

Al-Qadsiah

Al-Raed
Al-Taawoun

Al-Wehda

Damac

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Locations of teams in the 2024–25 Saudi Pro League

Stadiums

Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.

Team	Location	Stadium	Capacity
Al-Ahli	Jeddah	King Abdullah Sports City	62,345
Al-Ettifaq	Dammam	Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium	15,000 [22]
Al-Fateh	Al-Mubarraz	Al-Fateh Stadium	12,000 [23]
Al-Fayha	Al-Majma'ah	Al-Majma'ah Sports City Stadium	7,000
Al-Hilal	Riyadh	Kingdom Arena	26,000
Al-Ittihad	Jeddah	King Abdullah Sports City	62,345
Al-Khaleej	Dammam (Saihat)	Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium	35,000
Al-Kholood	Ar Rass	Al-Hazem Club Stadium	8,000 [24]
Al-Nassr	Riyadh	Al-Awwal Park	25,000
Al-Okhdood	Najran	Prince Hathloul bin Abdul Aziz Sports City	12,000 [25]
Al-Orobah	Sakakah	Al-Jouf University Stadium	8,500 [26]
Al-Qadsiah	Khobar	Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium	15,000 [27]
Al-Raed	Buraidah	King Abdullah Sport City Stadium	25,000
Al-Riyadh	Riyadh	Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz Stadium	15,000 [28]
Al-Shabab	Riyadh	Al-Shabab Club Stadium	15,000
Al-Taawoun	Buraidah	King Abdullah Sport City Stadium Al-Taawoun Club Stadium	25,000 5,961
Al-Wehda	Mecca	King Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium	38,000
Damac	Khamis Mushait	Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium (Abha) Damac Club Stadium	20,000 5,000

Personnel and kits

Team	Manager	Captain	Kit manufacturer	Main sponsor	Other sponsors
Al-Ahli	Matthias Jaissle	Franck Kessié	Adidas	Red Sea Global	List Front: Saudi Investment Recycling Company, Neoleap Back: Urpay, Kayanee Sleeves:None Shorts: Vveyon Water
Al-Ettifaq	Steven Gerrard	Georginio Wijnaldum	Adidas	Kammelna	List Front: Hongqi, Aldyar Alarabiya, Tameeni Insurance Back: Procare Riaya Hospital, Innosoft Sleeves: Saudi Qaid Transport Company, Direct KSA Shorts:None
Al-Fateh	Jens Gustafsson	Mohammed Al-Fuhaid	100°	Theeb Rent A Car	List Front: Fuchsia Bakery, Tameeni Insurance Back: Tamweel Aloula Sleeves: Ratio Speciality Coffee Shorts:None
Al-Fayha	Christos Kontis	Sami Al-Khaibari	Skillano	Basic Electronics Company	List Front: Tameeni Insurance Back: Al Romaih Investment Sleeves: Morabaha Marina Financing Company Shorts:None
Al-Hilal	Simone Inzaghi	Salem Al-Dawsari	Puma	Savvy Games Group	List Front: Jahez, Flynas Back: Riyad Bank, Saudi Entertainment Ventures Sleeves: Tree Digital Insurance Agency, Sanabil Investments Shorts:None
Al-Ittihad	Laurent Blanc	Karim Benzema	Nike	Roshn	List Front: SURJ Sports Investment, Flow Progressive Logistics Back: Milaf Al Madinah Heritage, Jamjoom Pharma Sleeves:None Shorts: Yaqoot
Al-Khaleej	Georgios Donis	Fábio Martins	Laser	Yelo Rent a Car	List Front: Fisher Electronics, Tameeni Insurance, Almana Hospital Back: Shemagh Al Bassam, Florina Shoes, Candy Sleeves: Locate Food Delivery App, Saudi Qaid Transport Company Shorts: Sayyar
Al-Kholood	Noureddine Zekri	Marcelo Grohe	Renown	Yelo Rent a Car	List Front: Tameeni Insurance Back: Mezaj Maghribhi, Florina Shoes, Elba Cookers Sleeves: Saudi Qaid Transport Company Shorts:None
Al-Nassr	Jorge Jesus	Cristiano Ronaldo	Adidas	KAFD	List Front: AROYA Cruises, Gathern Back:None Sleeves: Noug Shorts:None
Al-Okhdood	Stjepan Tomas	Hussain Al-Zabdani	Skillano	Yelo Rent a Car	List Front: Tameeni Insurance Back: Mezaj Maghribhi Sleeves: Saudi Qaid Transport Company Shorts:None
Al-Orobah	Álvaro Pacheco	Hamed Al-Maghati	Hattrick	Arrow Modern Future	List Front: Tameeni Insurance Back: Al Jouf Cement Sleeves:None Shorts:None
Al-Qadsiah	Míchel	Nacho	Nike	Aloula Aviation	List Front: Almajdouie Genesis, Almana Hospital Back:None Sleeves: Saudi Geophysical Shorts:None
Al-Raed	Odair Hellmann	Mohamed Fouzair	Challenge	Dinar Investment	List Front: Tameeni Insurance Back: Al Qassim National Hospital Sleeves: Saudi Qaid Transport Company, Direct KSA Shorts:None
Al-Riyadh	Sabri Lamouchi	Abdullah Al-Khaibri	Black Panther	Science Technology	List Front: Tameeni Insurance Back: Stars Smile Sleeves:None Shorts:None
Al-Shabab	Fatih Terim	Yannick Carrasco	Offside	Theeb Rent A Car	List Front: Tameeni Insurance Back:None Sleeves:None Shorts:None
Al-Taawoun	Rodolfo Arruabarrena	Aschraf El Mahdioui	Macron	Aldyar Alarabiya	List Front: Gree Electric, Dr Tooth Clinics Back: Al Dahayan Aluminum Panel Factory, Al Saif Trading Agencies Sleeves: Direct KSA, Duvet Mattresses Shorts:None
Al-Wehda	Josef Zinnbauer	Waleed Bakshween	Offside	Yelo Rent A Car	List Front: Tameeni Insurance Back: Ntam, Makkah Medical Center Sleeves: Saudi Qaid Transport Company Shorts:None
Damac	Cosmin Contra	Farouk Chafaï	Skillano	Basic Electronics Company	List Front: Osoul Poultry, Tameeni Insurance Back: Tadawi Clinic Sleeves: Saudi Qaid Transport Company, Lateen Water Shorts:None

Champions

List of champions

No Season Champion Runners-Up Saudi Categorization League 1974–1975 C 1974–75 Al-Nassr Al-Hilal Saudi Premier League 1975–2007 – 1975–76 Canceled 1 1976–77 Al-Hilal Al-Nassr 2 1977–78 Al-Ahli Al-Nassr 3 1978–79 Al-Hilal Al-Nassr 4 1979–80 Al-Nassr Al-Hilal 5 1980–81 Al-Nassr Al-Hilal 6 1981–82 Al-Ittihad Al-Shabab 7 1982–83 Al-Ettifaq Al-Hilal 8 1983–84 Al-Ahli Al-Ittihad 9 1984–85 Al-Hilal Al-Shabab 10 1985–86 Al-Hilal Al-Ittihad 11 1986–87 Al-Ettifaq Al-Hilal 12 1987–88 Al-Hilal Al-Ettifaq 13 1988–89 Al-Nassr Al-Shabab 14 1989–90 Al-Hilal Al-Ahli 15 1990–91 Al-Shabab Al-Nassr 16 1991–92 Al-Shabab Al-Ettifaq 17 1992–93 Al-Shabab Al-Hilal 18 1993–94 Al-Nassr Al-Riyadh 19 1994–95 Al-Nassr Al-Hilal 20 1995–96 Al-Hilal Al-Ahli 21 1996–97 Al-Ittihad Al-Hilal 22 1997–98 Al-Hilal Al-Shabab 23 1998–99 Al-Ittihad Al-Ahli 24 1999–00 Al-Ittihad Al-Ahli 25 2000–01 Al-Ittihad Al-Nassr 26 2001–02 Al-Hilal Al-Ittihad 27 2002–03 Al-Ittihad Al-Ahli 28 2003–04 Al-Shabab Al-Ittihad 29 2004–05 Al-Hilal Al-Shabab 30 2005–06 Al-Shabab Al-Hilal 31 2006–07 Al-Ittihad Al-Hilal 32 2007–08 Al-Hilal Al-Ittihad Saudi Pro League 2008–present 1(33) 2008–09 Al-Ittihad Al-Hilal 2(34) 2009–10 Al-Hilal Al-Ittihad 3(35) 2010–11 Al-Hilal Al-Ittihad 4(36) 2011–12 Al-Shabab Al-Ahli 5(37) 2012–13 Al-Fateh Al-Hilal 6(38) 2013–14 Al-Nassr Al-Hilal 7(39) 2014–15 Al-Nassr Al-Ahli 8(40) 2015–16 Al-Ahli Al-Hilal 9(41) 2016–17 Al-Hilal Al-Ahli 10(42) 2017–18 Al-Hilal Al-Ahli 11(43) 2018–19 Al-Nassr Al-Hilal 12(44) 2019–20 Al-Hilal Al-Nassr 13(45) 2020–21 Al-Hilal Al-Shabab 14(46) 2021–22 Al-Hilal Al-Ittihad 15(47) 2022–23 Al-Ittihad Al-Nassr 16(48) 2023–24 Al-Hilall Al-Nassr 17(49) 2024–25 Al-Ittihad Al-Hilal

Performance by club

Total league titles won (all eras)

#	Club	Winners	Runners-up
1	Al-Hilal	19	16
2	Al-Ittihad	10	8
3	Al-Nassr	9	8
4	Al-Shabab	6	6
5	Al-Ahli	3	9
6	Al-Ettifaq	2	3
7	Al-Fateh	1	0

Total titles won by city

Province	City	Number of titles	Clubs
Riyadh Province	Riyadh	37	Al-Hilal (21), Al-Nassr (10), Al-Shabab (6)
Mecca Province	Jeddah	22	Al-Ittihad (13), Al-Ahli (9)
Eastern Province	Dammam	2	Al-Ettifaq (2)
Eastern Province	Al-Mubarraz	1	Al-Fateh (1)

Performance by league

League	Number of titles
Pro League	Al-Hilal (8), Al-Nassr (3), Al-Ittihad (3), Al-Fateh (1), Al-Ahli (1), Al-Shabab (1)
Premier League	Al-Hilal (11), Al-Ittihad (7), Al-Nassr (5), Al-Shabab (5), Al-Ettifaq (2), Al-Ahli (2)
Categorization League	Al-Nassr (1)

AFC ranking

Main article: AFC club competitions ranking

As of 17 April 2025

Ranking				Member association (L: League, C: Cup, LC: League cup)	Club points								Total	2026–27 Competition
2024–25	2023–24	Mvmt	Region		2016 (×0.3)	2017 (×0.4)	2018 (×0.5)	2019 (×0.6)	2021 (×0.7)	2022 (×0.8)	2023–24 (×0.9)	2024–25 (×1.0)		Champions League Elite	Champions League Two	Challenge League
1	1	—	W 1	Saudi Arabia (L, C)	9.500	18.600	10.000	26.350	20.950	19.075	27.100	29.292	114.707	3+0	1+0	0
2	2	—	E 1	Japan (L, C, LC)	10.500	21.850	13.850	21.800	17.875	20.088	21.350	26.108	105.801	3+0	1+0	0
3	3	—	E 2	South Korea (L, C)	20.750	9.950	18.350	13.600	22.750	15.800	22.350	14.762	90.982	2+1	1+0	0
4	4	—	W 2	United Arab Emirates (L, C)	18.000	11.350	8.100	7.633	14.400	8.083	25.500	15.900	73.966	2+1	1+0	0
5	5	—	W 3	Qatar (L, C)	22.000	13.400	19.850	15.900	7.300	13.500	8.100	14.451	69.076	2+1	1+0	0
6	6	—	W 4	Iran (L, C)	13.000	16.200	18.850	11.500	14.225	13.250	9.300	13.274	68.907	1+1	1+0	0
7	8	+1	E 3	Thailand (L, C, LC)	1.000	15.050	16.200	5.050	8.500	11.110	8.567	14.875	54.873	2+1	1+0	0
8	7	–1	E 4	China (L, C)	14.750	24.567	16.200	17.350	0.800	0.500	11.900	10.250	54.682	1+1	1+0	0
9	9	—	W 5	Uzbekistan (L, C)	9.750	5.050	9.400	9.000	8.960	10.057	11.250	10.333	49.821	1+0	1+0	0
10	11	+1	E 5	Australia (L, C)	14.000	5.900	7.300	2.600	0.000	7.900	10.593	12.796	40.420	1+0	1+0	0

Saudi Arabian clubs in Asian football

Saudi Arabian clubs have a distinguished history in Asian football, having won a total of 16 titles across continental competitions. This makes Saudi Arabia the most successful country in Asian club football history. The table below provides a summary of these achievements.

Club	AFC Champions League Elite [29]	Asian Cup Winners' Cup	Asian Super Cup	Clubs Titles
Al-Hilal	4 (1991, 2000, 2019, 2021)	2 (1997, 2002)	2 (1997, 2000)	8
Al-Ittihad	2 (2004, 2005)	1 (1999)	–	3
Al-Nassr	—	1 (1998)	1 (1998)	2
Al-Ahli	1 (2025)	—	—	1
Al-Shabab	—	1 (2001)	—	1
Al-Qadsiah	—	1 (1994)	—	1
Total	7	6	3	16

League participation

As of the 2025–26 season, 40 clubs have participated in the Saudi top division league, with only three clubs — Al-Nassr , Al-Hilal , and Al-Ittihad — never being relegated.

• Bold indicates clubs currently competing in the Saudi Pro League.
• Note: This count includes only seasons from the inception of the Saudi Premier League to the present day.

League Participation

Seasons	Clubs
49	Al-Hilal , Al-Nassr , Al-Ittihad
48	Al-Shabab , Al-Ahli
46	Al-Ettifaq
40	Al-Wehda
37	Al-Qadsiah
25	Al-Raed, Al-Riyadh , Al-Tai
18	Al-Taawoun
16	Al-Nahda, Al-Fateh
13	Al-Faisaly
11	Al-Najma , Ohod
10	Al-Hazem
9	Al-Ansar, Najran, Al-Khaleej
7	Abha, Al-Shoulla, Damac , Al-Fayha
6	Hajer, Al-Batin
4	Al-Rawdah
3	Al-Kawkab, Al-Jabalain, Al-Orobah
2	Al-Adalah, Sdoos, Al-Watani, Al-Okhdood
1	Al-Arabi, Al-Ain, Al-Kholood , Okaz FC  [ ar ], Neom

Top scorers

All-time top scorers

As of matches played 11 May 2025 ^{[30] [31]}

• Bold indicates a player still active in the Pro League.
• Note: This count includes only seasons from the inception of the Saudi Categorization League to the present day.

Rank	Player	Goals	Apps	Ratio	First	Last	Club(s)
1	Majed Abdullah	189	194	0.97	1977	1997	Al-Nassr
2	Nasser Al-Shamrani	167	301	0.55	2003	2019	Al-Wehda, Al-Shabab, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad
3	Omar Al Somah	155	197	0.79	2014	2025	Al-Ahli, Al-Orobah, Al-Hazem
4	Abderrazak Hamdallah	150	163	0.92	2018	2025	Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Shabab
5	Fahd Al-Hamdan	120	252	0.48	1984	2000	Al-Riyadh
6	Yasser Al-Qahtani	112	206	0.54	2000	2018	Al-Qadsiah, Al-Hilal
7	Mohammad Al-Sahlawi	111	257	0.43	2005	2022	Al-Qadsiah, Al-Nassr, Al-Shabab, Al-Taawoun
8	Sami Al-Jaber	101	268	0.38	1988	2007	Al-Hilal
9	Hamzah Idris	96	–	–	1992	2007	Ohod, Al-Ittihad
10	Obeid Al-Dosari	91	–	–	1996	2005	Al-Wehda, Al-Ahli

Top scorers by season

Saudi Pro League Golden Boot in the Museu CR7.

Season	Nat.	Top scorer(s)	Club(s)	Goals
1974–75		Mohammad S. Abdeli	Al-Nassr	13
1976–77		Nasser Eid	Al-Qadsiah	7
1977–78		Motamad Khojali	Al-Ahli	14
1978–79		Majed Abdullah	Al-Nassr	18
1979–80		Majed Abdullah	Al-Nassr	17
1980–81		Majed Abdullah	Al-Nassr	21
1981–82		Khalid Al-Ma'ajil	Al-Shabab	22
1982–83		Majed Abdullah	Al-Nassr	14
1983–84		Hussam Abu Dawood	Al-Ahli	14
1984–85		Hathal Al-Dosari	Al-Hilal	15
1985–86		Majed Abdullah	Al-Nassr	15
1986–87		Mohammad Suwaidi	Al-Ittihad	17
1987–88		Khalid Al-Ma'ajil	Al-Shabab	12
1988–89		Majed Abdullah	Al-Nassr	19
1989–90		Sami Al-Jaber	Al-Hilal	16
1990–91		Fahad Al-Mehallel	Al-Shabab	20
1991–92		Saeed Al-Owairan	Al-Shabab	16
1992–93		Sami Al-Jaber	Al-Hilal	18
1993–94		Moussa N'Daw	Al-Hilal	15
1994–95		Fahd Al-Hamdan	Al-Riyadh	15
1995–96		Ohene Kennedy	Al-Nassr	14
1996–97		Ahmed Bahja	Al-Ittihad	21
1997–98		Sulaiman Al-Hadaithy	Al-Najma	15
1998–99		Obeid Al-Dosari	Al-Wehda	20
1999–00		Hamzah Idris	Al-Ittihad	33
2000–01		Paulo Silva	Al-Ettifaq	13
2001–02		Sérgio Ricardo	Al-Ittihad	16
2002–03		Carlos Tenorio	Al-Nassr	15
2003–04		Godwin Attram Kandia Traoré	Al-Shabab Al-Hilal	15
2004–05		Mohammed Manga	Al-Shabab	15
2005–06		Essa Al-Mehyani	Al-Wehda	16
2006–07		Godwin Attram	Al-Shabab	13
2007–08		Nasser Al-Shamrani	Al-Shabab	18
2008–09		Hicham Aboucherouane Nasser Al-Shamrani	Al-Ittihad Al-Shabab	12
2009–10		Mohammad Al-Shalhoub	Al-Hilal	12
2010–11		Nasser Al-Shamrani	Al-Shabab	17
2011–12		Victor Simões Nasser Al-Shamrani	Al-Ahli Al-Shabab	21
2012–13		Sebastián Tagliabúe	Al-Shabab	19
2013–14		Nasser Al-Shamrani	Al-Hilal	21
2014–15		Omar Al Somah	Al-Ahli	22
2015–16		Omar Al Somah	Al-Ahli	27
2016–17		Omar Al Somah	Al-Ahli	24
2017–18		Ronnie Fernández	Al-Fayha	13
2018–19		Abderrazak Hamdallah	Al-Nassr	34
2019–20		Abderrazak Hamdallah	Al-Nassr	29
2020–21		Bafétimbi Gomis	Al-Hilal	24
2021–22		Odion Ighalo	Al-Hilal	24
2022–23		Abderrazak Hamdallah	Al-Ittihad	21
2023–24		Cristiano Ronaldo	Al-Nassr	35
2024–25		Cristiano Ronaldo	Al-Nassr	25

•   Record

SPL Awards

The Saudi Pro League Awards are presented annually to recognize the best performers in the League. The awards were first held for the 2018–19 season but were paused from 2019 to 2023. They resumed partially for the 2023–24 season and have continued in full from the 2024–25 season onward, with all major categories awarded.

Saudi Pro League End-of-Season Awards

Season	Manager of the Season	Player of the Season	Saudi Player of the Season	Young Player of the Season	Golden Glove	Golden Boot	Goal of the Season	Ref.
2018–19	Pedro Emanuel	Abderrazak Hamdallah	Mohamed Kanno	Muteb Al-Mufarrij	Farouk Ben Mustapha	Abderrazak Hamdallah	Award not established	[32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37]
2023–24	Jorge Jesus	Not awarded	Not awarded	Not awarded	Yassine Bounou	Cristiano Ronaldo	Award not established	[38] [39] [40]
2024–25	Laurent Blanc	Karim Benzema	Salem Al-Dawsari	Musab Al-Juwayr	Koen Casteels	Cristiano Ronaldo	Cristiano Ronaldo	[41]

Records

See also: List of Saudi Pro League hat-tricks

As of the 31th round of the 2024–25 Saudi Pro League

Notable Records in the History of the Saudi Top Division League

Record	Player	Statistic
All-time most appearances	Mohamed Al-Deayea	406
All-time top goalscorer	Majed Abdullah	189
Most top goalscorer awards	Majed Abdullah	6
Most appearances in Pro League history	Mohammed Al-Fuhaid	344
Pro League all-time top goalscorer	Omar Al-Somah	154
Most Pro League golden boots	Nasser Al-Shamrani	5
Most goals in a single season	Cristiano Ronaldo	35
Most assists in Pro League history	Salem Al-Dawsari	55
Most clean sheets in a single season	Marcelo Grohe	18
Most clean sheets in Pro League history by a foreign goalkeeper	Marcelo Grohe	50
Most goals in consecutive matches	Abderrazak Hamdallah	14
Most hat-tricks in Pro League history	Abderrazak Hamdallah	11

Broadcasters

As of 20 October 2024

Country	Broadcaster	Ref.
Middle East and North Africa	Thmanyah	[42]
Austria	DAZN	[43]
Belgium
Canada
Germany
Ireland
United Kingdom
Australia	10 Play	[44]
Balkans	Sport Klub	[45]
Brazil	Paramount+
	Canal GOAT
	Rede Bandeirantes
Caribbean	Winner Sports Fox Sports
China	Bilibili Migu TV Tencent Zhibo8
France	Canal+	[46]
Greece	Cosmote Sport	[45]
Hungary	Spíler TV	[47]
India	Sony Sports Network	[48]
Italy	La7
	Sportitalia
Myanmar	Sky Net	[49]
Portugal	Sport TV	[50]
Romania	Prima Sport	[51]
South Korea	SPOTV	[52]
Hong Kong
Japan
South East Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa	StarTimes Sports	[53]
Spain	Movistar+	[54]
Turkey	S Sport	[55]
	TV8.5
United States	Fox Sports	[56]
Vietnam	VieON	[57]
Israel	Sport 5

Notes

1. If the King's Cup winner finishes in the top 3 of the Saudi Pro League, they will qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite. In this case, the slot for AFC Champions League Two will go to the fourth-placed team in the league standings
2. Arabic: دوري المحترفين السعودي; The logo also used "MBS" as an abbreviation for the MBS Pro League (Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Professional League) until the 2021–22 season.
3. Arabic: دوري روشن السعودي; Dawri Rushan as-Suʿūdī

See also

• Saudi Arabian Football Federation
• Football in Saudi Arabia
• List of football clubs in Saudi Arabia
• Crown Prince's Cup
• King's Cup
• Saudi Super Cup
• Saudi Founder's Cup
• List of Saudi Pro League hat-tricks
• List of football stadiums in Saudi Arabia
• Saudi Women's Premier League

References

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28. "Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz Stadium".
29. Note: Much like how the European Cup evolved into the UEFA Champions League, Asia’s top club competition began as the Asian Champion Club Tournament, later becoming the Asian Club Championship, then the AFC Champions League, and now the AFC Champions League Elite.
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47. Nagy, Bálint (11 August 2023). "A Spíler TV-n lehet majd nézni Ronaldo és Benzema meccseit" [You can watch Ronaldo and Benzema on Spíler TV]. Telex.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 25 September 2023.
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External links

• Official website
• MBS League SAFF
• Abdul Latif Jameel League (in Arabic)
• Saudi Arabia Football Federation at FIFA.com
• Saudi Arabia – List of Champions at RSSSF.com
• Saudi Pro League summary at Soccerway
• Saudi Pro League Official Mascot Designs Gallery - A gallery with all official mascots created for the Saudi Pro League.