In a strategic move reflecting the growing interest in developing the sports sector in the Kingdom, His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Talal bin Badr, Governor of Al-Ahsa, inaugurated the Al-Qadisiyah Football Club Academy branch in the governorate on Tuesday evening. The inauguration ceremony was attended by prominent figures, including Mr. Nabil Al-Jamea, Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Support Services at Saudi Aramco, Mr. Badr Al-Ruziza, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Qadisiyah Football Club, and a number of officials and those interested in sports.
General context and strategic importance
This launch comes as part of the major transformation underway in the Saudi sports sector, a key pillar of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. The Vision aims to elevate the level of sports professionalism, enhance the sector's contribution to the national economy, and improve the quality of life for citizens and residents. Saudi Aramco's acquisition of Al-Qadisiyah Club is part of this national trend, as major national companies seek to invest in sports clubs to develop their infrastructure, implement best governance practices, and build sustainable sports systems capable of competing both locally and internationally. Al-Ahsa Governorate is historically known as a wellspring of footballing talent, having supplied Saudi clubs and national teams with numerous stars, making the opening of a specialized academy there a logical and promising step.
Expected impact on various levels
The opening of the academy branch is expected to have a multifaceted positive impact. Locally , the academy will provide a comprehensive professional environment for the youth of Al-Ahsa, enabling them to hone their talents and develop their abilities using modern scientific methodologies, rather than relying on individual efforts. Regionally , this branch strengthens the Al-Qadisiyah academies network in the Eastern Province, creating an integrated system for discovering and developing talent across the entire region. Internationally , these initiatives contribute to building a strong base of young players qualified to represent the national teams in the future, thus supporting the ambitions of Saudi football in continental and global competitions.
Official statements and future vision
During the inauguration ceremony, His Highness the Governor of Al-Ahsa affirmed that this initiative represents a qualitative investment in the potential of the province's youth and aligns directly with the objectives of Vision 2030. He noted that such projects strengthen the approach to sports investment in Al-Ahsa and provide an attractive and stimulating environment for young people, capitalizing on the province's abundant and promising sporting and human resources. His Highness also commended the significant support the sports sector receives from the wise leadership, which has resulted in remarkable development in infrastructure and the empowerment of clubs and academies.
For his part, Mr. Bader Al-Ruziza, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Qadisiyah Club Company, expressed his gratitude to His Highness the Governor for his patronage and inauguration of the project. He explained that the opening of the academy branch is part of a strategic vision aimed at building a sustainable technical system and linking the academy's graduates to high-performance pathways and age-group categories, all the way to the first team. He emphasized that the academy represents the "beating heart" of the club's sports project and a fundamental pillar for serving Saudi football in the long term.
It is worth mentioning that Al-Qadisiyah Academy currently has more than 1,500 players working within a unified system across 6 branches in the Eastern Province, with a future plan to serve more than 2,500 players, with full commitment to quality standards, technical governance and sustainability of sporting impact.
