Sports ministry rebuts Abha club chief’s claims over promotion bonus and funding

The Ministry of Sports has responded to comments made by the president of Abha Football Club regarding financial support, the club’s budget, and promotion bonuses, clarifying the mechanisms and financial allocations for clubs.

Adel Al-Zahrani, Deputy Minister of Sports for Media and Marketing, said during an appearance on the Rotana Sport program with Walid that some of the statements made by the Abha president were “incorrect and misleading,” highlighting what he described as “unacceptable inaccuracies and contradictions.”

Al-Zahrani explained that the regulations do not include a so-called “promotion bonus.” Instead, a promoted club joins the Club Support Strategy system, which increases annual support from 6 million riyals for Yelo League clubs to 42 million riyals for Roshn League clubs, paid in monthly installments according to a set schedule.

He confirmed that the July payment was delivered to Abha, with the August installment paid on time. He also noted that additional, variable support can exceed 100 million riyals, in addition to the 42 million riyals, depending on specific stages and evaluation criteria.

Regarding the recruitment program, Al-Zahrani said its allocations were made available to all clubs before the season started, and Abha benefited from it in signing players, with some funds still unused. He pointed out that the club completed 19 signings, and more than half of its commitments to foreign players were covered by the program.

He stressed that clubs are informed in advance of their allocations and payment mechanisms, and there are no outstanding payments from the ministry or the league. He added that the ministry’s doors are open for direct communication with clubs regarding financial queries and allocations.