JEDDAH: On July 24, Al-Kholood Club was sold to the Harburg Group — a milestone for football in as the country accelerates efforts to privatize its sports sector.
The US-based company became the first overseas investor to control a Saudi Professional League team with a 100 percent stake.
Chairman and founding partner Ben Harburg, who has also invested in Spanish second division club Cadiz FC, brings a blend of global perspective and personal drive to the local football scene.
He moved to Ar Rass, one of the major cities in the Qassim region, in the summer and is now working to shape the team’s vision for growth both on and off the pitch. His staff comprises leading football, sporting, business and operations experts, including the group’s CEO, Robert Eeinhorn, who was previously CEO of Dutch Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Harburg spoke about his firm’s acquisition of Al-Kholood, his vision for the club’s future and the potential of both the Saudi Pro League and ’s sports sector.
Acquiring Al-Kholood Club made Harburg Group the first foreign entity to own a Saudi football team. What was it about , Al-Kholood and Ar Rass city that made you believe in their potential?
We deeply believe in the growth trajectory of Saudi football. This is a country with the highest per capita football fandom in the world.
The national team are perennial participants in the World Cup. Saudi homegrown football talent is very strong and only getting better. The nation is investing in human and physical infrastructure ahead of the World Cup in 2034.
Al-Kholood was appealing because it was a smaller club without the burden of legacy fan expectations and history. We could be more experimental and creative with the process of building the club and its brand within the Saudi market.
Ar Rass and the broader Qassim region is a vibrant core of the country. The people are amazing. I have never felt so welcome anywhere in the world. We are honored to be with them and represent them. Additionally, many clubs are in our periphery so it’s easy to commute to many of our away matches.
Are you investing in Al-Kholood because of our love for football or for business?
My primary objective is to make Al Kholood financially sustainable, meaning we don’t lose money each year. Beyond this, I plan to reinvest any proceeds back into the club. I make my money in venture capital and private equity. Thanks to God, we have been quite successful. Football is my love and passion, but it is also one that must be sustainable. We do believe there is an equity upside for the club as the league grows, but I did not come here seeking profit.
How did you feel when the last piece of paperwork was signed and the takeover became official?
A lot of people said congratulations around that moment. I do not feel that way — this is only the beginning of the journey. We have so much work to do and a very long road ahead.
In your view, what kind of challenge are you taking on at Al-Kholood?
Once we survive this season, the focus is on infrastructure development, academy development. We have many gaps to fill in our human and physical infrastructure. There’s a long road ahead.
What are your development plans for Al-Khlood?
We are working to bring community football back to our club. We engage with fans relentlessly to make sure they know they have a formal voice in our club and are the centerpiece of all we do. They are our “12th man” — without our fans, we are nothing.
The Saudi Pro League is seeing development and growth, and this takeover is another positive sign of that. Do you believe Saudi football has more potential for growth?
Absolutely. The league benefits from what I call “late mover advantage.” We can embrace new technology formats for distribution of our content to embrace a new local and global digital native population. I believe many of the leagues in Europe have flatlined or are on the decline. The timing is perfect for the SPL to take its rightful place among the top five leagues in the world.
On Aug. 17, you met with residents and Al-Kholood fans in Ar Rass. How were you received as an international owner?
They have been incredibly kind, welcoming and gracious. I am deeply grateful for the warm welcome I have received and their continued support of their club.
How do you plan to develop young Saudi football players at the club?
We want to be the place where young Saudi talent develops into national team caliber players. We want to be the place where national team players who are not getting playing time in their current teams get to see the pitch in preparation for the World Cup and other international tournaments. Our core key performance indicator is how many of our players — current and alumni — appear on the Saudi National Team roster.
In your recruiting vision, are you targeting high-level international players such as quality players from Public Investment Fund teams?
No. We need to build future stars, not buy them. It is a very dangerous game to try to compete with PIF, Aramco or Neom on spending for big-name players. You will always lose that fight. The “owners” in our league are the richest in the world. They make the spending power of owners in England or Spain look modest, in comparison.
Do you think you can finish in a better position than last year?
Last year will be hard to top. Teams that are recently promoted can often sneak up in the league and outperform in their first year. Often, other teams have not properly scouted them and underestimate them. At Cadiz in our first season up in LaLiga we finished 12th (out of 20) and beat Real Madrid away and Barcelona (with Messi in his prime). The next season with the same players we were fighting relegation. So we would be fortunate to come close to matching last year’s performance. This season is about survival.
