Baseball United to bring professional baseball to Saudi Arabia
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The league was founded in July 2022 and it began with two showcase games in Dubai in November 2023.
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RIYADH – Baseball United has signed an agreement that gives it an unlimited term to host its professional league and tournaments in Saudi Arabia.
The partnership between Baseball United – the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent – and the Saudi Baseball and Softball Federation (SBSF) marks the first time professional baseball will be brought to Saudi Arabia.
Baseball United was founded in July 2022 and it began with two showcase games in Dubai in November 2023.
The partnership also includes rights to new Baseball United franchises representing Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam – three of the kingdom’s largest cities.
“This is a monumental day for the sport of baseball,” Baseball United chairman, chief executive and co-founder Kash Shaikh said in a press statement.
“Saudi Arabia is setting the pace for sports development, investment, and growth in the kingdom and beyond, and we are truly honoured to now include baseball within those ambitious plans.
“This agreement significantly elevates Baseball United’s standing and footprint within the region, and, just as importantly, enables us to work at the grassroots level to help grow the game in the Middle East’s largest country.”
As part of the agreement, Baseball United will also open a subsidiary in Saudi Arabia and partner with the SBSF to develop baseball in the kingdom.
The SBSF, which was formed in 2019, will partner with Baseball United to develop the national team, with aims of competing in upcoming World Baseball Softball Confederation tournaments.
“On behalf of the Saudi Baseball and Softball Federation, I am honoured to welcome Baseball United to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said its president Nayef Mohammed bin Humaid.
“Operating under the leadership of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, the SBSF has worked to build and inspire a local community that loves and practises baseball and softball within Saudi Arabia, with aspirations to also reach international horizons and achievements.
“This partnership with Baseball United will help fuel that vision, and it will elevate the calibre of players, events, and attention for the sport here in Saudi Arabia.”
Baseball United introduced itself in Dubai with its All-Star Showcase, the first professional baseball games in the history of the region.
The league is scheduled to announce its 2024 plans and its Saudi expansion franchises later in 2024. REUTERS
