You might be curious about the sudden surge in Saudi Arabia's expenditure, aimed at attracting top players to its league. At the beginning of the year, the Saudi Pro League took its most ambitious step by securing the services of **Cristiano Ronaldo**, one of the biggest athlete in the world, who signed a reported €200m per year deal with **Al Nassr**. This move brought significant attention to the league, prompting the country to intensify its efforts in becoming the preferred destination for elite footballers. Notably, they have recently added **Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad)**, the current Ballon d'Or holder, and **N'golo Kante (also Al-Ittihad)** to their roster. Despite being ranked 58th in the world in terms of quality by Twenty First Group, a sports intelligence agency, the league has managed to pursue these acquisitions. Here is an overview of how they are accomplishing this. Saudi Arabia, one of the wealthiest nations, has historically relied heavily on its primary natural resource, oil, which accounts for 17% of the world's reserves and is worth trillions of dollars. However, the country recognized the need to reduce its dependence on oil due to various factors such as the energy crisis of the 1970s, the oil glut of the 1980s, and multiple global recessions. It became evident that maintaining such heavy reliance on oil in a rapidly changing world was detrimental to Saudi Arabia's future economy. Back in 1971, it cretaed the **Public Investment Fund (PIF)** - worth half a trillion dollars today - aimed at investing funds on behalf of the Government of Saudi Arabia, and this has become the foundation of the diversification of their economy today. In the spring of 2016, Mohammed bin Salman, who was then the Deputy Crown Prince and is now the Crown Prince and newly Prime Minister, introduced Saudi Arabia's "Vision 2030". This visionary roadmap outlined an ambitious plan for comprehensive reforms across the Kingdom's economic, political, and social structures. The vision encompassed numerous projects, including addressing climate change, developing tourism initiatives, and the creation of a futuristic megacity called NEOM, with an investment of $500 billion. Additionally, various programs and initiatives were launched to promote Saudi Arabia's culture globally and foster appreciation for its rich heritage. Recognizing the nation's passion for sports, similar to many countries worldwide, it was only natural for Saudi Arabia to heavily invest in this sector as part of its reform efforts. Since 2018, Saudi Arabia has been hosting a range of notable sporting events spanning various disciplines, such as the PIF Saudi International in golf, the Dakar Rally in motorsport, the Diriyah Cup in tennis, the Longines Global Champions Tour in horse racing/equestrian, Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk in boxing, and Gamers8 in Esports. However, it is in football where Saudi Arabia has made its most ambitious move. In 2021, Saudi Arabia controversially acquired an 80% stake in the Premier League club Newcastle United through a £300 million takeover. This acquisition served as a stepping stone towards their ultimate objective of hosting the FIFA World Cup. Following the success and excitement of the recent World Cup in Qatar, it comes as no surprise that Saudi Arabia has expressed its interest in hosting the tournament. Nevertheless, it is widely believed that its bid to host the 2030 World Cup, alongside Egypt and Greece, may face strong competition from the joint bid by Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile, representing CONMEBOL. Despite potential challenges, Saudi Arabia shows no signs of slowing down its sporting ambitions.
By strategically positioning itself as a viable destination for aging superstars seeking one last lucrative deal before retiring, the Saudi Pro League has successfully opened its doors to other players as well. In recent years, the Premier League has been known for housing some of the highest-paid athletes globally. While this has been advantageous for the clubs, they often encounter difficulties in moving on from substantial contracts, as players are generally hesitant to accept significant pay cuts and prefer to remain in England. However, with the Saudi Pro League emerging as a potential alternative capable of matching these substantial contracts, it has become an attractive option not only for aging stars but also for players deemed surplus or unwanted by their current clubs. In the past month alone, the Chelsea trio of **N'golo Kante (Al-Ittihad), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Ahli), and Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli)**, have already made their way to the Middle East, enticed by lucrative contracts with **Hakim Ziyech and Marcelo Brozović** expected to join **Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr** in the coming weeks, further highlighting the league's growing appeal to high-profile players as well as a trade partner for European clubs looking to “clear out their locker rooms”. While the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the Saudi Pro League were expected given their career stages, the transfer of **Ruben Neves from Wolverhampton Wanderers** to Al Hilal for £47.1 million has truly shocked football fans. Neves, at just 26 years old, has earned a reputation as one of the Premier League's finest midfielders, with many anticipating a move to prestigious clubs like Liverpool, Manchester United, or Arsenal. His unexpected move to the Saudi Pro League signifies the league's intention to not only attract stars in the twilight of their careers but also those in their prime. In another surprising move, **Seko Fofana, the captain of RC Lens**, is also expected to join Cristiano Ronaldo at **Al Nassr**. Fofana played a crucial role in helping his team secure a second-place finish in Ligue 1, earning them a spot in the Champions League after a 21-year absence. His decision to make the move to the Saudi Pro League comes as an equal shock to football enthusiasts. Over the next few months, we’ll undoubtedly see more players make a move to the hottest league in the world. Free Agent, **Bobby Firmino (Al Ahli)** will be joining in the coming days while former Manchester United duo, Wilfried Zaha and Jesse Lingard have been heavily linked with the latter expressing his openness to a potential move, essentially issuing a [“come and get me” plea](https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1673798171875500033) a few days ago. One thing is certain, this influx of stars to Saudi Arabia isn’t stopping anytime soon. **List of Notable Stars Who Have Joined The Saudi Pro League In 2023**
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