Saudi Arabia launches Dunes T20 League

Saudi Arabia has officially launched the Dunes T20 League, the country’s first franchise-based cricket competition, with the tournament set to begin in October 2026 in Taif. 

The six-team league marks another major step in the Kingdom’s expansion into global sport and is Saudi its biggest move yet into professional cricket.

The tournament was officially announced on May 13, with former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh confirmed as league ambassador and part of the management group helping oversee the project. 

All matches in the inaugural edition will be played in Taif, the mountain city near Jeddah that has increasingly become part of Saudi Arabia’s wider sports infrastructure plans.

The league was created after the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation awarded South Asian Network Limited (SAN Ltd) the rights last October to establish and operate the country’s first professional T20 tournament. 

SAN Ltd later partnered with Unique Sports Group and Prolithic Talent Agency, which is mentored by Singh, to build the competition ahead of its launch later this year.

Unlike earlier reports surrounding a larger Saudi-backed global T20 project, the Dunes T20 League will initially operate as a domestic franchise tournament built around six teams in a single host city. 

Previous plans linked to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund had suggested a much larger concept involving eight franchises across multiple locations and investment figures reportedly reaching $500 million. 

The final structure announced for the Dunes League is more compact but still heavily backed institutionally.

Organisers of the league say the tournament will bring together international players and Saudi-based talent while also creating development pathways for local cricketers through coaching, infrastructure, and professional-level exposure. 

The goal here is not only to stage a new tournament, but also to establish a long-term cricket ecosystem inside the country.

The launch of the Dunes T20 League now gives Saudi Arabia its own franchise competition at a time when T20 cricket continues expanding globally. 

With official federation backing, international involvement, and strong financial support, the league is expected to become a major new addition to the international cricket calendar over the coming years.