The SAFF signs a contract with STC Group to sponsor the Jawwy Elite U-21 League

2025-09-11
16:47:36

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) signed a contract with stc Group to sponsor the Saudi Elite U-21 League for two sports seasons, starting with the current 2025-2026 season.

The Saudi Football Federation was represented at the signing ceremony, which took place today, Thursday, at stc's headquarters in Riyadh, by Majed bin Ali Al Sahib, Assistant Secretary General for Strategic Affairs at the Saudi Football Federation, and Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Naim, Vice President of Growth Services at stc Group.

Under the signed agreement, the Saudi Elite U-21 League will be named the "Jawwy Elite U-21 League." At least six matches per round of the league, as well as the final rounds, will be broadcast on the stc TV digital entertainment platform.

The stc TV platform will provide premium coverage using the latest technologies, contributing to an interactive and integrated viewing experience for sports fans inside and outside the Kingdom.

This partnership affirms the integration between the sports and digital sectors in the Kingdom, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to discover and build a strong base of young talent who could potentially become members of the national team. It also aims to develop Saudi sports infrastructure, enhancing its regional and international presence.

For his part, Majed Al Sahib, Assistant Secretary General for Strategic Affairs of the SAFF, emphasized that this agreement falls within the Saudi Arabian Football Federation's strategy to expand the reach of its competitions and enhance its media presence. He noted that this cooperation reflects a shared commitment between the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and stc Group to supporting and developing football in the Kingdom and fostering football talent.

Al Sahib added that this partnership will effectively contribute to achieving the Saudi Arabian Football Federation's goals by supporting programs and initiatives aimed at raising the level of national sports. He emphasized the Federation's continued efforts to achieve further accomplishments that align with the shared aspirations of stc Group to enhance the local football sector.

For his part, Mr. Turki Al-Naim, Vice President of Growth Services at STC Group, expressed the company's pride in this strategic partnership with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, emphasizing that it is an extension of STC's vision to support the sports sector and empower today's talents and tomorrow's national stars by highlighting the new generation of players through advanced digital platforms.

Last January, the SAFF approved the launch of the Jawwy Elite Under-21 League, starting this season. This move came after a comprehensive evaluation of the experience of the reserve league, which was held over two seasons and contributed to increasing the number of playing minutes for young players. The Jawwy Elite Under-21 League represents a transitional phase aimed at continuing to develop Saudi players to a high level and increasing opportunities for talent discovery by local clubs.

The first edition of the Jawwy Elite Under-21 League will kick off on September 15 with the participation of 24 clubs in two stages: the first is a home-and-away league stage, followed by the final rounds in a knockout format.

The clubs will compete in 20 rounds of the league, with each club playing 20 matches, divided equally between 10 home matches and 10 away matches. The points system allows the top four teams to qualify directly for the quarter-finals, while the teams ranked fifth through twelfth will play in play-off matches, with four teams qualifying for the remaining quarter-final spots.

To regulate player participation, the Competitions Department, in cooperation with the Technical Department, has set the number of participating players per team at 20. For the 2025-2026 season, four players born in 2004 will be allowed to participate, in addition to eight players born in 2005 and 2006. The regulations also allow three players to participate in each match from the first team's 25-player roster, whether Saudi or non-Saudi.