Saudi football spending faces fresh scrutiny after Ahmed Ateef comments

Ahmed Ateef says strict financial fair play rules could leave Saudi Arabia’s leading clubs unable to register any new players, with spending on transfers and wages rising sharply while the clubs’ revenues and funding sources remain unclear.

The former Saudi Arabia international made the comments during an appearance on the television programme “Dawri Ghair”, saying: “If financial fair play were applied, no player would be registered at the top clubs.”

His remarks have prompted renewed debate about how money is being spent by clubs competing in the Roshn Saudi League, particularly those with ambitions of challenging for major domestic and international honours.

Ateef argued that the sums entering the transfer market had become exceptionally large. However, he said the public still did not have a sufficiently clear picture of the income being generated by clubs or the sources behind the funds being used to complete deals.

“There are huge amounts of money being spent on signings, without clearly announcing the size of the income and revenues or the sources of funding,” Ateef said.

The former Saudi player suggested that this lack of clarity made it difficult to assess whether clubs were maintaining an appropriate balance between expenditure and income. His comments come after several Saudi clubs became increasingly active in the global transfer market, contributing to a significant rise in the value of deals and player salaries in the league in recent years.

Financial sustainability and spending oversight have consequently become regular subjects of discussion as the Roshn Saudi League seeks to strengthen its profile and attract leading players from around the world.

Ateef believes any meaningful application of financial fair play would depend on greater transparency in clubs’ financial records. More detailed information, he said, would allow spending to be assessed fairly against income, particularly as the gap between clubs’ financial resources continues to widen and contract values increase.

The remarks have also raised broader questions about the direction of Saudi football’s financial model. Clubs are pursuing major ambitions for the development of the Roshn Saudi League, but the scale of current spending has intensified the debate over whether tighter controls may be needed.

The issue now centres on whether the next phase of the league’s growth will bring stricter financial monitoring, or whether clubs will continue to spend at their current levels in an effort to improve competition and increase the league’s ability to attract high-profile international talent.

Ateef’s comments were made as Saudi football continues to manage an expanding schedule and a rapidly developing domestic competition. Three rounds of the Roshn Saudi League have been rescheduled, while dates have also been set for the King’s Cup and the Saudi Super Cup.

His intervention adds to the discussion about the relationship between investment, transparency and competitive balance, with supporters and observers seeking clearer evidence of how clubs’ expenditure compares with their actual revenues.