Conclusion of the program to support and develop women's teams for the 2023-2024 season

2024-07-01
22:30:53

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) concluded the first edition of the program to support and develop women’s teams for the 2023-2024 season, which was launched in June 2023 with the aim of raising the level of professionalism of the clubs and supporting their sustainability in the Premier League and the Women’s First Division League.
The program had allocated an amount of 49,920,000 Saudi riyals to strengthen the infrastructure of the participating teams, develop them technically and administratively, and raise the level of women’s competitions.
Among the most prominent mandatory support standards are: Building a strategic plan and a comprehensive organizational structure, employing competencies in the administrative, technical and medical fields, and appointing Saudi female coaches within the technical staff.
It also included optional criteria: Establishing an under-17 girls’ team and a first women’s futsal team, in addition to signing professional contracts with Saudi female players.
*General statistics about the program:*
- 53% of the spending budget allocated to support teams.
- The program included 34 teams from the Premier League and Women's First Division during last season.
-The teams signed 86 professional contracts with Saudi female players in the Premier League, which contributed to raising the level of competition and performance in local tournaments.
*Art Device:*
- 91% of the total number of teams participating in the program have a coach who holds at least an A training license, which reflects their commitment to technical development and achieving satisfactory results in local competitions.
- 24% of the teams’ technical managers hold a PRO license, which shows the teams’ commitment to investing in raising the level of expertise of the technical staff.
*Emerging talent:*
- 56% of the Premier League and Women’s First Division teams have established teams for the under-17 age groups, confirming their interest in emerging talents.
*Strategies:*
- 47% of the participating teams developed integrated strategies that contribute to achieving a long-term vision that includes development plans for local and international participation.
For her part, Director of the Women’s Football Department, Alia Al-Rasheed, stressed the tangible achievements of the program to support and develop women’s teams for the 2023-24 season, as the program contributed greatly to motivating the teams to work and grow, and thanks to these efforts, women’s football has advanced towards new levels of progress.