Saudi Arabia: A lucrative women’s T20 cricket league featuring players from England, Australia and India will be launched in 2026

The prospect of a women’s T20 tournament in Saudi Arabia comes on the back of the broader game-changing sporting investments the country has made in recent years.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been a member of the International Criminal Court since 2003, and its union is headed by Prince Saud bin Mishal Al Saud, who serves as its president and president.

The Gulf state has already made a splash in cricket with strategic deals and major sponsorships, and Prince Saud said last year that the aim was to “make cricket a major sport in Saudi Arabia”.

SACF signed a strategic agreement, external With the UAE-based International T20 (ILT20) league in September which will allow them to hold matches in Saudi Arabia.

In May 2024, the ICC signed a global partnership with Aramco, the country’s state-funded oil company, until 2027 after an initial 18-month period.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) includes Aramco and Visit Saudi Arabia among its sponsors, and the 2025 auction was held in Jeddah.

This year it was reported, external Officials of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) were planning to invest £390 million in a men’s T20 franchise league in the ‘Grand Slams’.

Construction has already begun on a stadium in the capital, Riyadh, with more plots planned in Jeddah and Yanbu, and FairBreak plans to provide women-only spaces and prayer rooms in stadiums.

FairBreak hopes that the tournament will “also create new opportunities for Saudi women to participate in the sport,” while “enhancing pathways for local players, officials and administrators to participate in the global game.”

They believe it will balance the lack of women’s world championships compared to the men’s game.

“No other cricket tournament provides the opportunity for so many players to play together, and all continents are represented,” she added.

Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” plan has made sports a key component in diversifying the country’s economy beyond dependence on oil.

The governing body for cricket in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said: “This achievement presents the first professional women’s cricket event in the Kingdom, further developing the sport, empowering female participation, and expanding international cooperation in line with the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030.”

However, Saudi participation in sports is not without significant controversy.

Critics say the practice is used to gain legitimacy and distract from controversy over the country’s human rights record and its impact on the environment, a practice known as “sportswashing.”

Hosting a women’s cricket tournament in Saudi Arabia, where homosexual activity is illegal, will inevitably pose an ethical dilemma for some openly gay players in the sport.

During the planning and development of the league, a consultation process took place in an attempt to allay concerns about various issues, including the involvement of players in same-sex relationships.

Views were collected from past and present international cricketers along with those already involved in women’s sports in Saudi Arabia including Judy Murray, who works to promote tennis there.

Visit Saudi, the country’s official tourism promotion program, says all visitors are welcome, are not required to reveal their personal information and their right to privacy will be respected.

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s advice states that although same-sex relations are illegal, “legal action is uncommon”.