Soccer-First foreign owners of Saudi League club say they will make superstars, not buy them
July 25 (Reuters) - American led Harburg Group, the first foreign owners of a Saudi Pro League club, said their goal is not to sign global stars but to develop them, after acquiring 100% ownership of Al-Kholood.
The investment firm aims to steer away from the marquee spending that has defined the league, through the acquisitions of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema by clubs financially backed by the kingdom's sovereign wealth arm, the Public Investment Fund.
"We believe football players are Saudi Arabia's next great export. So we are not here to buy superstars, we are here to develop them," Harburg Group founding partner, Brian Wright Vias said.
Al-Kholood are far from the big guns like Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad. Based in Ar-Rass, in the lesser-known agricultural province of Al-Qassim, they were promoted to the top flight in the 2024–25 season and managed to survive after finishing ninth out of 18.
"We're incredibly excited about the upward trajectory of the club, the passion of its fans, and its vibrant region, Al-Qassim," Harburg Group owner Ben Harburg added.
The league's biggest signings so far this transfer window have been France defender Theo Hernandez from AC Milan to Al-Hilal and Italy striker Mateo Retegui from Atalanta to Al-Qadsiah.
Saudi Arabia announced the privatisation of three soccer clubs on Thursday, as part of efforts to expand its sports sector, a key pillar of the oil-rich kingdom's Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy.
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