The Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation

The Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation is the governing federation for the sport of cricket in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was established on December 7, 2017. Its headquarters is located in Riyadh City, and the number of registered players is 26,771, representing 420 clubs.

Cricket spread in the Kingdom in the 1970s with the start of forming sports federations. In 2003, the Kingdom became an associate member of the Asian Cricket Council and an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council, which was also the year the national cricket team was formed. The Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation was established in January 2020, with Prince Saud Bin Mishal Al Saud as its first president. There are fifteen regional cricket associations under the umbrella of the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation.

The National Cricket Championship organized by the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation is a prominent event, with the latest edition featuring over eight thousand players from 412 teams across eleven Saudi cities: Riyadh, Dammam, al-Jubayl, Jeddah, al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, Yanbu, Tabuk, Abha, Jazan, Qassim, and Najran.

The Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation also organized softball cricket tournaments, which were held in two phases and hosted by eleven cities: Riyadh, Dammam, al-Jubayl, Jeddah, Tabuk, Makkah al-Mukarramah, Yanbu, Jazan, Farasan Island, Taif, and Hail. More than 7,115 players participated in these tournaments. These events aim to provide popular sports activities for residents in the Kingdom, especially expatriates from countries where cricket is popular, such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Additionally, there is a community cricket program in Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, and Yanbu. It is expected that more than 22,000 people will participate in various initiatives and competitions supported by the Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee.

The Red Sea Global Company signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation, stemming from the fact that sports, in general, are one of the main pillars of Saudi Vision 2030. This aims to provide an appropriate environment for practicing sports, which is one of the key factors in enhancing the quality of life for employees and workers on projects. It also seeks to leverage the infrastructure of state projects to support sports and attract global attention through them.

The memorandum of cooperation aims to create opportunities for Red Sea Global Company employees and workers to play cricket by establishing a training program and forming the Red Sea Cricket League at both the Red Sea and Amaala destinations. It also includes organizing cricket tournaments and events specifically for them, providing support, advice, and technical requirements to develop Red Sea Global Company's cricket facilities, and potentially hosting local and international championships in these facilities, which will be organized by the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation.

Neom also announced a partnership with the Rajasthan Royals team, ranked among the top twenty teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), to launch the first cricket program in Neom. The pilot program supports Neom's goals of providing an active and healthy lifestyle for its growing workforce.