RIYADH: The DP World International League T20 and the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation marked their new partnership at an event in Riyadh, outlining plans to accelerate cricket development across the Kingdom.
SACF Chairman Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud described the agreement as “a significant milestone for Saudi cricket,” saying it covers “infrastructure development, there sanctioning fees … digital player development” and “multiple different angles that… will level up our industry in the Kingdom.”
He added that fans and players can expect “infrastructure under development” and that Saudi athletes “will be exposed to higher competitions, higher training systems, different competition levels in different countries and more.”
Six Saudi players will feature in DP World ILT20 Season 4, with league officials confirming that matches are expected to take place in the Kingdom in the coming years.
SACF CEO Tariq Ziad Sagga said the partnership will support several long-term pillars, noting that it “reflects on the future plans of cricket … for example, for the infrastructure development, we want to attract more investors.”
He added that it also provides “an international platform for our Saudi national team to play in international tournaments and events,” and that Saudi Arabia expects to host major events “once we finish with our first international venues by mid-2026, inshallah.”
DP World ILT20 CEO David White said the collaboration is central to the league’s regional ambitions. “We see DP World T20 just not a UAE competition. We see it expanding into the greater Gulf region. And Saudi is a big part of that,” he said, adding that he expects ILT20 matches in the Kingdom within “the next two or three years.”
Sports infrastructure investor Mandar Joshi said the cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the UAE “will go a long way in developing the cricket infrastructure” in the region, calling the partnership “a milestone.”
