Football club Al-Hilal and Saudi Entertainment Ventures team up to boost sport in Kingdom

Saudi Arabia’s leading football club, Al-Hilal, and Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, have signed a three-year official partnership agreement. (Supplied)

• The entertainment company said the partnership reflects its aspirations to be an enabler of the next generation of Saudi sporting talent
• Al-Hilal CEO Abdullah Al-Jarbou said the partnership illustrates how the sports and entertainment sectors are increasingly intertwined

RIYADH: Al-Hilal, one of Saudi Arabia’s leading football clubs, and Saudi Entertainment Ventures, also known as SEVEN, on Monday signed a three-year official partnership agreement.
They said the deal includes mutual commercial and marketing rights designed to benefit guests at SEVEN’s entertainment destinations in the Kingdom and Al-Hilal fans, beginning from the start of the 2023/2024 Saudi Pro League season in August.
SEVEN, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, said the partnership aligns with its aspirations to be an enabler of the next generation of Saudi sporting talent through the services at its venues. Individuals interested in pursuing a career in sport will be able to hone their skills by participating in the numerous activities on offer at SEVEN’s destinations, it added, including skiing, climbing, surfing, bowling, golfing, indoor sky-diving and e-karting.
Abdullah Al-Jarbou, the CEO of Al-Hilal, said the partnership agreement illustrates the ways in which the sports and entertainment sectors are increasingly intertwined in the Kingdom, in keeping with the aims of the Saudi Vision 2030 development and diversification agenda.
“It enables both parties to fulfill their goals to enhance the quality of life for the people of Saudi Arabia,” he added.
Abdullah Al-Dawood, SEVEN’s chairperson, said: “We are redefining the entertainment landscape of the Kingdom with an unrivaled offering of entertainment, which includes education, sports, adventure, events and more. We are committed in supporting the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to enhance the quality of life among all residents.
“This agreement with Al-Hilal, one of Saudi Arabia’s leading football clubs, with a long legacy of championing talent, will support SEVEN’s ambition to unlock sporting talent and reach a wider audience across the Kingdom.”
Over the past six decades, Al-Hilal has won 66 official titles and built a legion of fans in the Kingdom, across the wider Arab world, in Asia and further afield. The club’s achievements include a record 18 Pro League titles, winning the Saudi Founder’s Cup in 2000, qualifying three times for the FIFA Club World Cup, and winning a record eight Asian Football Confederation trophies, including four AFC Champions League titles.