Saudis in professional sports
30,000 to 40,000 Saudis employed across professional sports
Vibrant Society pillar2 sourcesLast verified 2026-05-18
Hero metric
Saudis in pro-sports employment
30K-40K
202530,000 to 40,000 Saudis employed across professional sports
Publishers include: SPA · Arab News
The Story
Before
Sports was a marginal employment sector for Saudis.
Initiative
The Saudi Pro League privatized and professionalized. Investment in football, golf, motorsport, esports, and combat sports created roles across operations, coaching, and management.
Outcome
Between 30,000 and 40,000 Saudis are now employed directly in professional sports.
For citizens
Real careers in sport — not just as players, but in management, broadcast, coaching, sports science, venue operations. The Saudi Pro League now accounts for ~15% of global football transfer activity.
Timeline of Milestones
2023
Saudi Pro League privatization accelerated
2025
30-40K Saudis employed in pro sports
Evidence library · 2 primary sources
Sorted by tier, newest first
Background sources · 1 additional
From the editorial source repository
An entertainment industry, built from zero
89 million visits to events and venues in 2025
89M+
Cinema, reborn from zero
From 0 cinema screens in 2017 to 700+ at 60+ locations across 16 governorates
700+
Riyadh Season — country's biggest festival
13 million visits to the multi-month festival in 2024-2025
13M
Saudis employed in entertainment
100,000+ direct jobs in the entertainment sector
100K+
Initiative attribution: Saudi Pro League; Ministry of Sport; Saudi Sports for All Federation. Citizen benefit category: Jobs & livelihoods.