Trophies won, current owners, transfers and guide to Saudi Pro League club

Saudi Arabian football has entered a new era in which it is more relevant than ever before.

Football has been played in Saudi Arabia for decades and the national team is not completely without World Cup pedigree, but the landscape has changed now.

One of the Saudi Pro League teams altering that landscape is Al Ahli. They are one of many sides making major moves in the 2023 summer transfer window and expect to challenge for the title in 2023/24.

Here is everything you need to know about Al Ahli, including their history, how they are funded and the players they have added to the squad.

Ironically, Al Ahli spent the 2022/23 season in the second division of Saudi Arabian football. They won that league, but it was a major shock for them to have been relegated in the first place. Al Ahli have won the Saudi Pro League three times and been the runners-up a staggering nine times.

An Al Ahli fan spoke to Gulf after the relegation and said: “I was heartbroken. Everything I know about football has been about Al Ahli. It’s what my father, grandfather and uncles supported growing up in Jeddah. Al Ahli is [to the Saudi Pro League] what Manchester United means to the Premier League. It’s really the saddest moment in the club’s history.”

Al Ahli was founded in 1937 and is a founding member of the Saudi Pro League. They have won the King’s Cup 13 times, the Saudi Super Cup once and the Crown Prince Cup six times as well as other various honours. Such an extensive honours list makes that relegation all the more baffling.

One of the reasons why you can expect Al Ahli to be near the top of the Saudi Pro League despite just rejoining the top flight is their new ownership.

They are one of the four clubs that were recently taken under the control of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF).

That is the same PIF that owns Newcastle United in the Premier League and essentially means Al Ahli are government-backed. PIF owns 75% of the club and the other 25% is owned by the Al Ahli non-profit organisation.

As things currently stand, Al Ahli are one of the quieter PIF-owned clubs in the Saudi Pro League but they have made two signings that caught the eye of the European football fan.

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy chose to move to Saudi Arabia and become their number one between the sticks in a transfer worth £16m, though an even bigger signing is that of Roberto Firmino.

The Brazilian forward left Liverpool after eight seasons and was linked with many big clubs in Europe, notably Barcelona and Juventus. In the end, he chose to move to Al Ahli and will be their headline player in the 2023/24 season unless someone even more established were to join.

Given they only spent £16m on Mendy and didn’t pay a fee for Firmino, expect Al Ahli to make some more moves in the transfer window to catch the eye.

90min understands Al Ahli have agreed a fee with Manchester City for Riyad Mahrez and have also offered Fulham boss Marco Silva a contract to become their new coach.

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