The Price Tag on Owning Al Hilal: Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal’s Takeover Under Scrutiny

Overview

Newspaper reports have disclosed the total cost of Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal's planned takeover of Al Hilal in the near future.

Earlier reports confirmed that the Prince struck a substantial deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund, under which he would acquire full ownership of Al Hilal.

The Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported that the takeover details are near completion and that an official announcement is expected before the end of December.

The deal is said to cost 7.5 billion Saudi riyals, with most of the amount going to the Public Investment Fund which would own 75% of the club, while the remainder goes to the Ministry of Sports.

According to Asharq Al-Awsat, negotiations began about a year ago and have reached the final stages, after which bin Talal would own 100% of Al Hilal.

Impacts and Other Clubs

Separately, the newspaper noted that talks to acquire Al Ittihad are not imminent due to ongoing discussions with several investors, including Abdullah Saleh Kamel and his brother Muhyi.

The paper warned that the deal for Al Ittihad might not occur within the next three months, with similar uncertainties for Al Ahli and Al Nasr, while there were no new developments on allocations for Al Shabab or Al Ettifaq, with negotiations possibly extending into next year.

Punchlines to spice things up: If these numbers could buy happiness, the stadium would already be filled with confetti. If money spoke, this deal would shout, sing, and probably request a halftime show. And yes, even football loves a little drama between the zeros.