Saudi Arabia’s coat of arms, flag, palm tree inspire new national team football shirt design

Last month saw the release of the new Saudi Arabia men’s and women’s national football team shirts by adidas to much acclaim.

Arab News spoke to Bilal Fares, adidas MENA general manager, about the new design and plans by the German sports brand for football and sports in the region.

On the design of the new Saudi Arabia national team shirts

Together with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, our aim is to convey a sense of vitality, prosperity and elegance through the jersey’s design, which is why we incorporated gold-like accents, adding a premium feel that will make the jersey stand out both on and off the field.

The home kit design is inspired by the Kingdom’s coat of arms, the palm tree, while the away jersey is inspired by the country’s flag. The goal was to create a design that embodied the country’s aspirations and growth.

Furthermore, we ensured that the women’s national team’s home kit embodies a unique design that sets the women’s national team apart, by creating a slight variation of the palm tree. This comes as the women’s team were recently announced as an official FIFA-ranked nation for the first time in their history.

On the unveiling of the shirt in the desert

We wanted to reveal the new kit in an unconventional way, honoring its true essence as a representation of Saudi’s football community and the Kingdom’s heritage.

Working closely with SAFF, we were inspired to create a campaign film that embodies the country’s goals and pillars. The film titled “Weaved As One,” showcased the players’ journey as they presented the new kits to different communities, joined in their celebrations, and recreated the iconic national team photo with each group. The campaign conveyed the message that in Saudi