How has the influx of big stars impacted local players in the Saudi Pro League?

When the Saudi Pro League announced an increase to the foreign players quota per club from seven to eight for the 2023/24 season, questions were asked about how the decision would affect local players, who will be left to compete for just three spots in the starting XIs.

The decision was the latest step in a trend that has continued since 2017/18 when the first change to the long-standing rule that had clubs in the top division limited to registering four foreign players. That season, the quota was grown to six players, then up to seven in 2018-19 before the most recent increase to eight.

But this time, it was not just the number that has gone up. Since the decision by the Ministry of Sports to allow private ownership of clubs earlier this summer, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) moved to acquire a majority stake in the nation’s top four clubs, committing hundreds of millions of dollars to signing some of the best talents in world football.

The arrival of the likes of Karim Benzema, Neymar, Riyad Mahrez and many more to add to January’s arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo brought unprecedented global interest in the Saudi Pro League, but with it came a new challenge for Saudi players looking to establish themselves in their nation’s top tier football: they now have to earn their playing time by challenging the very best in the game.

A quick look at the scoring charts after five matches of this season reveals some familiar suspects. Ronaldo sits atop the rankings with six goals, his Al Nassr teammate Sadio Mane is one behind, level with last season’s top scorer Abderrazak Hamdallah, the Moroccan striker from Al Ittihad.

But two names stand out at the top end of the list: Salem Al Dawsari, arguably Saudi Arabia’s greatest