Al-Hilal sold – Who is the new majority owner?

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has sold its majority stake in one of the kingdom’s top football teams, Al-Hilal.

The Public Investment Fund announced it is selling a 70 percent stake in the record 21-time Saudi football champion to Kingdom Holding Company – a company led by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a member of the royal family of Saudi Arabia.

Al-Hilal was one of four Saudi Pro League clubs controlled by PIF. The others are Al-Nassr, where Cristiano Ronaldo plays, as well as Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli. In football, PIF also has a majority stake in Newcastle in the English Premier League.

In a statement on Thursday, the investment fund said the sale of Al-Hilal is “in line with PIF’s strategy to maximize returns and redeploy capital within the domestic economy” in its broader effort to boost “the development and diversification of Saudi Arabia.”

READ ALSO | The CEO of LIV Golf says the show will go ahead amid reports of uncertainty over Saudi Arabia’s financing

“PIF unlocks opportunities to make a transformative impact in the Saudi sports sector and achieve positive long-term results.”

The agreement came the same week as speculation over whether PIF was about to cut financial support to the divisive LIV Golf competition.

Following reports that PIF would withdraw from LIV, the competition’s CEO said in a memo to staff – a copy of which was sent to The Associated press – that the 2026 season would continue “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full speed”. However, the situation after 2026 remained cloudy.

Published on April 17, 2026