Saudi Arabia begins transfer of 25% stakes in Al Nassr, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli to PIF

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Sport has announced the start of procedures to transfer the shares held by the non-profit institutions linked to Al Nassr, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli to the Public Investment Fund (PIF), marking a significant new stage in the restructuring of the country’s four leading football clubs.

The non-profit institutions currently represent 25% of the shares in the companies that own the four major clubs. Once the required legal and regulatory procedures have been completed, PIF will become the full owner of Al Nassr, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli.

The move was announced on Wednesday and is understood to represent the second phase of the ownership-transfer process involving the four clubs. Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported that the development is aligned with the objectives of Saudi Arabia’s sports-club investment and privatisation programme.

The changes will not immediately bring the current boards of the club companies to an end. Those boards will continue to carry out their responsibilities until their existing terms expire, including members who were appointed by the non-profit institutions.

However, PIF employees currently serving as chairmen of the clubs’ executive committees will resign from those positions. The resignations are intended to comply with regulations connected to maintaining competitive fairness between clubs.

The ownership model for Al Hilal remains different from that of the other three major clubs. In April, 70% of Al Hilal’s shares were transferred to Kingdom Holding Company, which is owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.

The latest announcement follows the earlier move to place the leading Saudi clubs under new ownership structures as part of the wider development of the Roshn Saudi League. PIF’s acquisition of the 25% stakes held by the non-profit institutions means it will take complete ownership of Al Nassr, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli during the current phase.

Further ownership changes are expected in the coming period. Al Nassr, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli are also expected to be transferred to groups of investors and business leaders, completing the privatisation process for the major clubs in the Saudi league.

The sequence of changes means the clubs’ corporate boards will remain responsible for their work during the transition, while the ownership arrangements continue to evolve through the regulatory stages. PIF’s withdrawal of its employees from the executive-committee chairmanships is a separate step linked to the rules governing competitive balance.

Together, the measures represent the latest development in Saudi football’s long-term plan for investment and private-sector involvement. The process currently leaves Al Hilal as the only one of the four major clubs whose majority ownership has already been transferred to a private company, while the future ownership arrangements for Al Nassr, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli remain to be completed.