The Nafis Program Completes Its Fourth Year

2025-06-30
20:57:38

The Ministry of Sports' Nafis Program has completed its fourth year since its launch on June 21, 2021. It is part of the Quality of Life initiatives of Saudi Vision 2030 and aims to enable local and international investors to enter the sports sector by granting licenses to private clubs and sports academies.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) is working to regulate the participation of these entities in official tournaments and competitions, provided they meet the approved conditions and regulations.

Since the program's launch four years ago, the sector has witnessed rapid growth, with the number of accredited memberships with the Federation increasing from 76 in 2023 to 89 in 2024, and then to 188 in 2025, including 41 private clubs and 147 sports academies. This growth of more than 140% over three years reflects the growing demand from investors to establish qualified and licensed sports clubs and academies.

As part of this expansion, the number of players registered in these clubs and academies through the Saudi Arabian Football Federation's MySafe system has increased to more than 7,145 players across various age groups. The highest registration rates were in the under-14 category, with 1,100 players, followed by the under-13 category with 1,011 players, and the under-12 category with 926 players.

The number of players joining the national team's age groups has also reached 23, confirming the growing base of players from the early age groups and the program's success in supporting the early stages of development.

A number of commercial clubs and private academies achieved remarkable accomplishments at both the competitive and organizational levels between 2021 and 2025, including winning local championships and promotion to higher divisions.

They also contributed to supplying national teams with players in the age groups (born in 2009, 2010, and 2011) for regular training camps and friendly tournaments. The 2023-24 season saw Al Fadl Club promoted to the Third Division, while Mahd Academy won the Kingdom's Under-15 Championship (First Division) and advanced to the Under-15 and Under-16 Premier Leagues.

Majd Al Qunfudhah Club, Wembley Academy, and Al Qassim Club also advanced to the Under-15 and Under-16 Premier Leagues, while Ajyal Al Hayat Academy won the Under-11 League in the Al Jouf region, Be One Academy won the Qassim region championship, and Libero Academy won the Jazan region championship.

Meanwhile, Al Himma, Al Bairaq, and Al Anqaa qualified for the final rounds of the Women's First Division League. Al Amal Club advanced to the Women's Premier League, while Sho'la Al Sharqiya Club finished third in the Saudi Federation for Girls' Youth Championship. In the 2024-25 season, Al-Najm Al-Azraq Club, Sport Yard Academy, and Majd Al-Qunfudhah Club continued their upward trajectory, reaching the Third Division, First Division, and Premier League for age groups. Mahd Academy also excelled, winning the Under-12 and Under-11 Championships in the Riyadh and Jeddah regions.

Ajyal Al-Hayat Academy won the Al-Jouf Championships. Al-Qassim Club won both Qassim Championships in both categories. Meanwhile, Nujoom Al-Awal Academy won the Asir Region Under-12 Championship, and Nujoom Al-Baha Academy won the Under-11 Championship in the Al-Baha region. Faisal Al-Dakhil Academy also won the Hafar Al-Batin Governorate Championships in both categories. Al-Bashaer Academy won the Under-14 League Championship in the Al-Baha region, while Al-Euro Academy won the Under-13 League Championship in Taif. Najmat Jeddah Club won the Women's Second Division League Championship. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation affirms that these indicators reflect the direct impact of the integrated regulatory efforts between the Federation and relevant authorities, particularly with regard to providing opportunities for the private sector and enhancing the quality of technical competition. The accreditation of clubs and academies has contributed to increasing participation in local competitions, increasing the number of players, and expanding the football base across various regions, with clubs and academies adhering to all approved regulations for participation in tournaments and registering players.