Saudi football broadcast shake-up as Turki Alajmah joins Thmanyah after Waleed Al-Farraj switch

Saudi football’s media market is undergoing its own summer transfer window, with Turki Alajmah leaving Rotana to join Thmanyah, the official broadcaster of the Roshn Saudi League.

Alajmah will present “Thmanyah Stadium” during the coming season, after Thmanyah announced his signing on Friday. His move follows the arrival of fellow Saudi presenter Waleed Al-Farraj at Rotana, where he is set to become the network’s main on-air personality.

The changes come as Saudi clubs make significant moves in the summer transfer market to strengthen their squads ahead of the new campaign. Broadcasters covering the domestic game are also reshaping their presenting teams and programme schedules before the season begins.

Alajmah previously hosted “Kora” on Rotana Khalejia. He left the Rotana network in May, bringing an end to his time with the programme.

Reports at the time suggested that Al-Farraj would replace him as Rotana’s leading football presenter for the new season. That move was later confirmed, with Rotana announcing that Al-Farraj had signed to host a new daily show, “Rotana Sport with Waleed”.

The programme is scheduled to begin next Wednesday, 12 August.

Alajmah’s move to Thmanyah attracted attention beyond Saudi Arabia. Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano shared a video on his personal account on X showing Alajmah being introduced as the latest presenter to join the broadcaster.

Thmanyah holds the rights to broadcast the Roshn Saudi League, which begins on 13 August. The opening of the league campaign will come shortly before the start of the King’s Cup, with Saudi football’s major competitions set to provide the focus for the networks’ new programmes.

Other presenters are also staying with their current broadcasters for the new season. Saudi presenter Khalid Al-Shneif is set to continue hosting “Dourina Ghair” on Saudi Channel, while Abdulrahman Al-Humaidi will remain at MBC1 with “Nadina”.

More sports programmes covering Saudi football are expected to be announced in the coming period as broadcasters finalise their schedules for the campaign.

The latest changes underline the growing competition among Saudi media outlets for high-profile football coverage. Alajmah’s move gives Thmanyah an experienced and familiar presenter, while Rotana has responded by placing Al-Farraj at the centre of its new football offering.

The new Roshn Saudi League season will therefore begin with changes not only on the pitch, but also across the television and digital platforms following the competition.