Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is expected to seek complete ownership of Al Hilal, a move that would make the club the first major Saudi Arabian fan-owned side to become fully privately owned, according to Saudi broadcaster Waleed Al-Farraj.
Al-Farraj said the chairman of Kingdom Holding Company, which owns Al Hilal, could ask to acquire the remaining 30% of the club. Prince Alwaleed currently holds 70% of Al Hilal after completing a binding agreement with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) in April.
The potential move follows an announcement by the Saudi Ministry of Sport on Wednesday that its 25% stakes in the country’s four biggest clubs – Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli – had been transferred to PIF.
Al-Farraj’s comments were made on his programme Rotana Sport with Waleed, broadcast by Rotana Khalijia, a channel primarily owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. That connection has given additional significance to the report, although no formal request or decision from the prince has been announced.
“After the Ministry of Sport withdrew its 25% stake in the clubs, it is expected that Prince Alwaleed bin Talal will ask to acquire the remaining shares in Al Hilal and become the first Saudi club to be fully acquired,” Al-Farraj said during the programme.
Al Hilal is currently the only one of the four major Saudi clubs to have moved outside the ownership structure of the Public Investment Fund. There is an expectation that Al Nassr, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli could follow in the coming period, although the source article provides no further details about the timing or terms of any such changes.
Prince Alwaleed’s existing 70% stake was obtained by Kingdom Holding Company under a binding contract signed with PIF. The proposed acquisition of the remaining shares would therefore give the company complete control of Al Hilal and create an unprecedented ownership model among Saudi Arabia’s major supporter-backed clubs.
The change forms part of a wider restructuring of ownership in Saudi football. The four clubs have been central to the country’s recent investment programme, which has brought greater private and institutional involvement into the game.
Al Hilal is one of Saudi Arabia’s most successful and widely supported clubs. However, the article does not state whether the club, Kingdom Holding Company or PIF has commented on Al-Farraj’s prediction.
The report was also circulated on social media through the official account associated with Rotana Sport with Waleed, alongside Al-Farraj’s remarks about the possible full acquisition.
Fans have been invited to follow further discussion of the issue through football forums, while tickets for Roshn Saudi League matches continue to be promoted through the league’s ticketing channels.
