The Public Investment Fund (PIF) has agreed to sell a 70 per cent stake in Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal to Kingdom Holding Company, marking a major shift in the ownership structure of one of the country’s biggest football teams.
The deal, valued at approximately €350 million, sees the firm led by Alwaleed bin Talal take controlling ownership of the club, where French striker Karim Benzema plays.
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The transaction values Al-Hilal at around 1.4 billion Saudi riyals ($373 million), with the 70 per cent stake sold for roughly 980 million riyals. The remaining shares are expected to be divested at a later stage, completing the club’s transition away from state-backed ownership.
The move represents a significant change in the Saudi Pro League’s structure, as Al-Hilal shifts from PIF control to private ownership. It could also reshape the club’s transfer strategy, giving it greater operational independence in the market.
The sale comes amid previous criticism over how PIF distributed resources among top Saudi clubs, including Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli.
PIF, which also owns Newcastle United, has been at the centre of Saudi Arabia’s broader sports investment strategy, including its backing of LIV Golf.
In a statement, Bin Talal described Al-Hilal as “a national symbol and a source of pride for the Saudi people,” signalling ambitions to usher the club into a new era defined by strategic autonomy, investment and growth under private ownership.
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