The Law introduces registration, licensing, governance, investment, and dispute resolution requirements for the Kingdom’s sports sector.
By Salman Al-Sudairi, Abdullah A. Alsaeed, and Talal Fuad Abul
On June 11, 2026, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s new Sports Law (the Law) became effective, replacing the Basic Regulation for Sports Federations and the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee issued by Royal Decree No. M/55 dated 19/10/1407H.
The Law defines the institutional roles of the Ministry of Sport, the Minister of Sport, and related sports bodies; introduces registration, approval, and licensing requirements; and recognizes the Saudi Sports Arbitration Center’s role in supervising arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution procedures for covered sports-related disputes.
The implementing regulations to the Law are expected to provide further operational detail and must be issued within 180 days of publication. In-scope entities are required to ensure compliance with the Law by June 11, 2027 (a period that the Minister can extend by another year).