Saudi Women's Premier League
 | |
| Organising body | Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2022 |
| Country | Saudi Arabia |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of clubs | 10 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Saudi Women's First Division League |
| Domestic cup(s) | SAFF Women's Cup Saudi Women's Super Cup |
| International cup(s) | AFC Women's Champions League WAFF Women's Clubs Championship |
| Current champions | Al-Nassr (2nd title) (2023–24) |
| Most championships | Al-Nassr (2 titles) |
| Top goalscorer |  Shokhan Salihi (55)(as of December 14, 2024) |
| TV partners | SSC Shahid (Streaming) DAZN (outside MENA) Grass Valley |
| Website | saff.com.sa |
| Current: 2024–25 Saudi Women's Premier League | |
The Saudi Women's Premier League (Arabic: الدوري السعودي الممتاز للسيدات) is the top flight of women's association football in Saudi Arabia.[1]
History
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The first Saudi women's club were King's United based in Jeddah,[2] and Eastern Flames in Dhahran. Both were formed in 2006. Other women's teams were formed after in Riyadh and Dammam. In 2008, the first Saudi women's tournament was held with the participation of seven teams. In December 2019, the Jeddah Women's Football League was held, which was the first women's competition organized by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation; it was won by Jeddah Eagles.[3]
In February 2020, Saudi Arabia decided to launch a football league[4] for women throughout the country.[5] On 17 November 2020, the national league was launched with 24 teams; it was divided into three regions, Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam which represent the Women's Community Football League, and the four best teams qualified to the WFL Champions Cup.[6] Challenge Sports Club won the first edition.[7]
In October 2023, the Saudi Women's Premier League partnered with DAZN, giving them rights to stream the league's matches worldwide.[8] This move reflects the league's major advancements in recent years.
On 14 December 2023, the match between Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad witnessed the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino at Prince Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah.[9]
On 23 December 2023, the match between Al-Ittihad and Al Nassr witnessed the presence of The Best FIFA Women's Player 2021 and 2022, Spain's Alexia Putellas, at Prince Faisal Bin Fahad stadium (Al-Ittihad Club Stadium) in Jeddah.[10]
In May 2024, Grass Valley announced a cooperation agreement with Saudi Pro League to distribute the 2024–25 Saudi Women's Premier League matches through its digital platform.[11]
On 31 May 2024, the Saudi Football Federation renewed the exclusive partnership agreement with Saudi National Bank for a period of 3 years to sponsor the Saudi Women's Premier League and also the SAFF Women's Cup.[12]
Current teams
[edit]The following ten teams are competing in the 2024–25 season.
| Team | Location | Ground | Capacity | 2023-24 Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Ahli | Jeddah | Al-Ahli Club Stadium | 14,000 | 2nd |
| Al-Amal | Taif | King Fahd Sports City | 20,000 | D1, 3rd |
| Al-Hilal | Riyadh | Inaya Medical Colleges Stadium | 10,000 | 5th |
| Al-Ittihad | Jeddah | Al-Ittihad Club Stadium | 15,000 | 6th |
| Al-Nassr | Riyadh | Al-Awwal Park | 25,000 | 1st |
| Al-Qadsiah | Khobar | Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium | 15,000 | 4th |
| Al-Shabab | Riyadh | Al-Shabab Club Stadium | 15,000 | 3rd |
| Al-Taraji | Qatif | Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Stadium | 12,000 | D1, 2nd |
| Al-Ula | Medina | Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Sports City | 20,000 | D1, 1st |
| Eastern Flames | Dammam | Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium | 26,000 | 7th |
Champions
[edit]By season
[edit]| Season | Winners | Runners-up | Third place | Top goalscorer | Best goalkeeper | Best player | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
By team
[edit]| Club | Titles | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| 2 |
Records
[edit]All-time table
[edit]| Rank | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Nassr | 36 | 31 | 3 | 2 | 137 | 41 | +96 | 96 |
| 2 | Al-Hilal | 36 | 20 | 6 | 10 | 129 | 57 | +72 | 66 |
| 3 | Al-Shabab | 36 | 20 | 6 | 10 | 110 | 58 | +52 | 66 |
| 4 | Al-Ahli | 36 | 20 | 4 | 12 | 110 | 60 | +50 | 64 |
| 5 | Al-Ittihad | 36 | 15 | 8 | 13 | 94 | 54 | +40 | 53 |
| 6 | Al-Qadsiah | 22 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 39 | 18 | +21 | 37 |
| 7 | Al-Yamamah | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 40 | 15 | +25 | 21 |
| 8 | Eastern Flames | 36 | 5 | 4 | 27 | 51 | 116 | −65 | 19 |
| 10 | Al-Ula | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 17 | -1 | 9 |
| 9 | Al-Amal | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 21 | -10 | 3 |
| 11 | Al-Riyadh | 14 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 8 | 79 | −71 | 1 |
| 12 | Al-Taraji | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 43 | -37 | 0 |
| 13 | Sama | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 173 | −172 | 0 |
Top scorers
[edit]| Rank | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shokhan Salihi
|
55 |
| 2 |  Ibtissam Jraïdi
|
43 |
| 3 | 23 | |
| 4 |  Naomie Kabakaba
|
22 |
| 5 |  Ajara Nchout
|
16 |
| 6 |  Clara Luvanga
|
16 |
| 7 | 15 | |
| 8 |  Noha Tarek
|
15 |
| 9 |  Mavis Owusu
|
15 |
| 10 |  Maysa Jbarah
|
14 |
| 11 |  Oriana Altuve
|
14 |
| 12 | Elizabeth Addo
|
12 |
| 13 |  Daliah Abu Laban
|
12 |
| 14 |  Samia Aouni
|
12 |
| 15 | Seba Tawfiq
|
11 |
Former top league champions
[edit]Before the launch of the Saudi Women's Premier League, two leagues were established to test and set things up, laying the foundation for the top-tier competition. These leagues served as crucial stepping stones, refining the structure and ensuring the success of the premier league.
The list of champions and runners-up:
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
Women's Community Football League
|
|||
2020–21
|
|||
SAFF Women's National Football Championship
|
|||
2021–22
|
|||
- Al-Hilal (ex. Challenge SC)
- Al-Ittihad (ex. Jeddah Eagles LFC)
- Al-Nassr (ex. Al-Mamlaka FC)
References
[edit]- ^ Diamond, Drew (29 February 2020). "Saudi Arabia form Women's Football League". Her Football Hub. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ "Saudi female athletes challenge Muslim norms". espn. Barbara Surk. 17 February 2012. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ "Jeddah Eagles flying high with women's football win". Arab News. 9 December 2019. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ Naidu, Dr Unnati (3 January 2022). "Saudi Arabia: First women's football league from fan's perspective". Her Football Hub. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia launches a soccer league for women". CNN. Ivana Kottasová & Chandler Thornton. 27 February 2020. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ "الدوري السعودي النسائي". saudileague.com. Muhammad Aamer. 23 November 2020. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ "Challenge Team First Winner Of The Saudi WFL". sportsforall.com. 18 December 2020. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ "DAZN further invests in women's football with deal to broadcast Saudi Women's Premier League | DAZN News US". DAZN. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ "حضور إنفانتينو يؤكد استمرار دعم الكرة النسائية السعودية" [Infantino's presence confirms the continued support for Saudi women's football.]. kooora.com (in Arabic). Riyan Al-Jidani. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ "لاعبة برشلونة تشهد قمة الدوري السعودي للسيدات" [Barcelona player witnesses the summit of the Saudi Women's League.]. kooora.com (in Arabic). Riyan Al-Jidani. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ "الدوري السعودي للسيدات يدخل مرحلة جديدة في البث التلفزيوني" [The Saudi Women's League enters a new phase in television broadcasting.]. kooora.com (in Arabic). Riyan Al-Jidani. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ "كرة القدم النسائية في السعودية تواصل الازدهار" [The Women's football in Saudi Arabia continues to flourish.]. kooora.com (in Arabic). Riyan Al-Jidani. 31 May 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ "Al-Nassr Saudi Women's Premier League Champions". Saudi Gazette. 19 December 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ "Al-Nassr Are The 2023/2024 Saudi Women's Premier League Champions". Forbes. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ "فريق التحدي يسجل نفسه في تاريخ الرياضة النسائية". Al-Yaum (in Arabic). Retrieved 15 December 2024.
- ^ "7 أهداف تقود «فريق المملكة» لذهب قدم السيدات". Okaz (in Arabic). Retrieved 15 December 2024.
See also
[edit]- Saudi Women's First Division League
- Saudi Women's Second Division League
- Saudi Women's U-17 Tournament
- Dawri Madaris
External links
[edit]
| National teams |
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| International competitions |
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| League competitions |
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| Cup competitions |
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| Other | |||||