Saudi Arabia to launch Dunes League T20 in October

Saudi Arabia is set to enter the franchise cricket landscape with the launch of the Dunes League T20 later this year. The new six-team tournament, sanctioned by the Saudi Arabia Cricket Federation (SACF), is scheduled to begin in October and will be played in Taif near Jeddah.

The Dunes League T20 is expected to feature players who have recently retired from international cricket but remain active on the global franchise circuit. Saudi Arabia’s growing involvement in cricket has accelerated steadily in recent years, and the launch of its own domestic franchise league marks another significant step in that expansion.

Saudi Arabia expands sporting footprint

Over the last five years, Saudi Arabia has invested heavily across global sport as part of wider efforts to diversify its economy. The country has hosted major football, boxing and tennis events, while the Public Investment Fund (PIF) also backed the LIV Golf project before recently announcing plans to withdraw funding after this season.

Cricket has increasingly become part of that strategy. Saudi Arabia previously hosted the IPL auction in 2024 and has also signed sponsorship agreements with the ICC. The SACF partnered with the UAE’s ILT20 last year and agreed a long-term deal to stage the FairBreak Women’s T20 Challenge, although the first edition has since been postponed because of conflict in the Gulf region.

Rumours surrounding Saudi Arabia’s interest in launching a major T20 competition have circulated for several years. Speculation also intensified last year around possible Saudi-backed investment into a proposed “Grand Slam-style” global T20 structure discussed by the Australian Cricketers’ Association.

League structure and player rules

The Dunes League T20 has been developed in partnership with Sports Asian Network alongside talent agencies Unique Sports Group and Prolithic.

Unique Sports Group represents England fast bowler Jofra Archer, while Prolithic manages India batter Abhishek Sharma. Former India allrounder Yuvraj Singh will serve as the league’s ambassador.

The SACF had initially outlined provisional plans for the competition late last year, describing the league as part of a wider push to place Saudi Arabia “on the global cricket map” while also helping “develop Saudi talent”.

League regulations are expected to permit a maximum of four players who have played full-member international cricket within the previous two years. That keeps the competition below the threshold requiring ICC approval.

Top player salaries could reportedly reach USD 100,000.

A significant step for Saudi cricket

The launch of the Dunes League T20 represents Saudi Arabia’s most direct move yet into franchise cricket. While the country has previously focused on sponsorships, partnerships and hosting cricket-related events, this tournament signals an attempt to establish a long-term presence within the sport itself.

With franchise cricket continuing to expand globally, the success of the Dunes League T20 could shape how Saudi Arabia positions itself within the wider T20 ecosystem in the coming years.

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