Saudi Arabia's Cricket Debut Could Be Huge

The symbolism is bold and unmistakable. This year, the IPL auction 2025—cricket's most extravagant spectacle—will take place in Jeddah which began November 25, a bustling port city on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast and the second-largest in the kingdom. Over two days, franchise representatives are expected to spend more than ₹600 crore (around $71 million) in a nation already brimming with wealth, marking Saudi Arabia’s first significant venture into the cricketing world.

The groundwork for this debut was laid gradually. Prince Mishal bin Saud Al-Saud, head of the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation (SACF), appeared alongside BCCI secretary Jay Shah at IPL 2023’s opening match, hinting at growing ties. Saudi state-backed enterprises like Visit Saudi and oil giant Aramco have become prominent IPL sponsors. Aramco even signed a long-term partnership with the ICC, securing naming rights for match awards at World Cups. Notably, IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals sported the logo of Neom, Saudi Arabia’s futuristic coastal city project, on their jerseys. Hosting the auction in Jeddah, after last year’s event in Dubai, underscores the kingdom’s expanding influence in global cricket. Prince Saud called the arrangement a testament to the deepening relationship between Saudi Arabia and the BCCI, with Jay Shah poised to assume the ICC chairmanship on December 1.

Cricket in Saudi Arabia

While the IPL auction offers Saudi Arabia valuable exposure, cricket remains on the fringes domestically. Infrastructure is limited, and the national teams face steep challenges. The men’s team, ranked 33rd in the ICC’s T20I rankings, recently failed to progress in World Cup qualifiers, while the women’s team has endured heavy losses in its five T20I matches so far. Yet, Saudi Arabia’s sporting ambitions often exceed its current capabilities.

The kingdom has already disrupted other sports, dominating boxing with high-profile matches in Riyadh and attracting football superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to its Pro League. In golf, Saudi Arabia launched the controversial LIV Golf tour, luring players with astronomical contracts and forcing a potential merger with the PGA Tour. With vast financial resources, Saudi Arabia has the potential to wield similar influence in cricket.

A Strategic Vision for Sports and Beyond

Saudi Arabia’s expanding footprint in global sports aligns with "Vision 2030," a long-term strategy spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on oil. The Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, has been pivotal in these efforts, acquiring stakes in sports properties like Newcastle United and investing heavily in global competitions.

Critics argue, however, that this aggressive sports investment also serves to deflect attention from the kingdom’s troubling human rights record. Incidents like the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi severely damaged Saudi Arabia’s international image, yet recent years have seen a concerted push to rebuild soft power through sports. Accusations of "sportswashing" persist, but this tactic is hardly new in cricket, a game long tied to political agendas and international diplomacy.

What Lies Ahead for Saudi Cricket?

Speculation abounds about Saudi Arabia’s next moves in cricket. Some reports suggest the kingdom could launch a T20 franchise league, but regulatory hurdles, like the ICC’s cap on overseas players per team, make this unlikely in the short term. Instead, experts predict Saudi Arabia will take a more collaborative approach, focusing on partnerships rather than disruption.

"You can't compete with money," Ben Stokes, England's Test captain, told Bloomberg, "especially the money that Saudi Arabia is throwing around to certain people."

Simon Chadwick, a sports professor specialising in Middle Eastern investments, noted that the controversy surrounding LIV Golf has prompted Saudi Arabia to shift strategies. 

"The Saudi Arabians are learning to play the game of sports politics more carefully… Rather than becoming entangled in a hostile takeover, it will look to do things through evolution rather than revolution. It was an outsider looking to enter the global sport industry and taking a position as a disruptor. Now it's much more part of the orthodoxy, looking to work within existing structures."

In cricket, this could mean investment in IPL franchises or staging select games in Saudi Arabia once modern stadiums are built. Richard Thompson, ECB chair, anticipated that Saudi investors would offer lucrative deals to bring IPL matches to the kingdom. Similarly, the Hundred, England’s franchise cricket competition, might also attract Saudi interest, particularly given the proximity of Newcastle United—already under Saudi ownership.

Saudi Wealth Could Reshape Cricket Overnight

Despite plans to reduce the proportion of PIF investments allocated to sports, experts believe cricket remains a long-term focus. The appointment of Australian Danny Townsend as CEO of SURJ, PIF’s sports subsidiary, signals continued ambition in this area.

The IPL auction serves as cricket’s grand display of wealth, yet it pales in comparison to the resources Saudi Arabia could deploy. For context, the entire IPL salary cap for a single franchise (₹120 crore) is far less than the signing bonus reportedly paid to golfer Phil Mickelson to join LIV Golf. Saudi Arabia’s initial steps into cricket may seem modest, but they possess the financial clout to transform the game’s landscape virtually overnight.