Origins (1957–2022) The origins of the Saudi top division league trace back to the establishment of the His Majesty's League in 1957, 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 was the
1976–77 season. The league operated as a
round-robin tournament from its inaugural season until the
1989–90 season. After that, the
Saudi Arabian Football Federation merged the league with the
King's Cup into a single competition, introducing the Golden Box format. This system featured an end-of-season knockout stage involving the top four teams from the regular league, who competed in semi-finals and a final to determine the national champion. The round-robin format was reinstated in the
2007–08 season, and the league was rebranded as the Saudi Pro League in
2008. While the Saudi Pro League is a continuation of earlier league formats, its statistics and records are maintained separately, in a manner similar to how the English
Premier League is considered distinct from the former
Football League First Division. Following the rebranding to the Saudi Pro League, the competition underwent several sponsorship-driven name changes, reflecting commercial partnerships with various organizations over the years. In addition to commercial titles, the league was also officially named in honor of
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a period, recognizing his support and influence in the development of Saudi sports. In 2019, the Saudi government, through the General Sports Authority (which was later transformed into the
Ministry of Sport), launched the Sports Clubs Support Strategy, allocating over SAR 1.6 billion to improve governance, infrastructure, and fan engagement within the league. In 2022, Saudi real estate firm
Roshn, owned by the
Public Investment Fund, signed the largest title sponsorship in the league's history: a 5‑year agreement worth
SAR 478 million (≈
USD 127 million) that granted Roshn the naming rights. From the
2022–23 season onward, the Saudi Pro League was officially renamed the Roshn Saudi League under this deal.
Saudi football revolution (2023–) with Al-Nassr in 2023 In June 2023, the
Public Investment Fund acquired 75% stakes in four major clubs—Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Ahli—as part of
Saudi Vision 2030. The aim of the initiative is to eliminate club debt, increase market value, and prepare teams for full privatization. The long-term goal is to sell clubs to both domestic and international investors. The Saudi Pro League underwent a major transformation starting in 2023, following the high-profile signing of
Cristiano Ronaldo by Al-Nassr. His move helped attract other global stars, including
Neymar,
Karim Benzema,
Sadio Mané, and
N'Golo Kanté, during a record-breaking transfer window in which clubs spent nearly $1 billion acquiring 94 players from Europe's top leagues. This privatization effort began with
Al-Kholood, originally owned by the
Ministry of Sport, which became the first Saudi football club to be 100% foreign-owned after being sold to The Harburg Group, led by American businessman
Ben Harburg, on 24 July 2025. Lower-division clubs such as
Al-Ansar have also been privatized. The sweeping reforms have drawn international attention and criticism, with some labeling the moves as
sportswashing. In response, Saudis argue the investments are part of a broader effort to grow the sport and diversify the economy. ==Sponsorship==