RIYADH: The Saudi Football Association launched on Thursday the first edition of the Saudi Women’s Premier League, with the participation of 8 teams.
The teams participating are Al-Nasr (previously the Kingdom’s women’s team), Al-Hilal (previously Al-Tahadi women’s team), Al-Yamama, Nessor Jeddah, Shoalat Al-Shargia, Al-Aseffa, Sama w Maras.
The new season will start on October 13, on a home-and-away basis, with a total of 56 matches.
The federation also approved the establishment of a Division One, with the participation of 17 teams, which will be distributed across three regions. That league will start on November 11, also on a home-and-away basis.
The Division One champions will be determined through a knockout system of the quarter-finals, and will be promoted to the Premier League the following season to replace the last placed team in the Premier League, who will be relegated.
The Saudi Football Association has approved financial support for the Premier League clubs, where each team will receive SAR250,000, while each team in Division One will receive financial support of SAR50,000.
Lamia Ibrahim Bahian, member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Football Association and General Supervisor of the Women’s Football Administration, praised the support that the Women’s Football Department enjoys from the Board of Directors of the Saudi Football Association,
She noted that the Saudi Football Association is proceeding at a steady pace according to an ambitious strategy to advance women’s football in the Kingdom.
Director of the Women’s Football Department, Alia bint Abdulaziz Al-Rasheed, indicated that women’s football is currently taking important steps towards developing women’s competitions, after the success achieved by women’s football competitions in the 2021-2022 season, with the participation of 16 teams, and Thursday's inauguration of the Premier League and Divison.
