Rent or Own? The Bold New Plane of Al Hilal Sparks Debate
3 November 2025
Rent or Own? The Bold New Plane of Al Hilal Sparks Debate
The story of Al Hilal's new branded aircraft has stirred a wide-ranging debate: is this a historic marketing milestone or a flashy expense chasing headlines?
On October 30, Al Hilal's club company unveiled a team-branded aircraft, created in partnership with Nas, the official airline partner. The move has been described as unprecedented in Saudi and Middle Eastern football.
The plane, a modern A320neo painted with full club colors, arrived at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, signaling a new era in the club's commercial strategy.
The aircraft will be used to transport passengers across Nas's domestic and international network as part of a broader push to strengthen Al Hilal's brand and revenues.
With this partnership, Al Hilal becomes the first club in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East to operate a plane bearing the club's full branding under a formal commercial agreement with an airline.
Reaction online has been a mix of praise and skepticism, with fans praising the visibility and marketing potential while others argue that the club does not own the plane—it is painted with the team's colors as part of a lease arrangement.
Some comparisons have been drawn to earlier attempts by other clubs, such as Al Qadsia's use of a plane for a King's Cup journey and Al Ahli's temporarily painted plane for fan transport, which fans argued were one-off promotions rather than ongoing assets.
Supporters and critics alike pointed to other sports executives who often rely on big-name sponsorships and corporate fleets, noting that leasing aircraft is common among major clubs and business figures worldwide, a view echoed by the media personality Walid Al-Farraj in interviews.
Al-Farraj said: "Has anyone heard of a club owning a private plane? Clubs with aircraft usually rely on major charters and sponsorships." He added: "A team that travels dozens of times a year doesn't need to own a plane; even stars and businesspeople charter planes—and even if they owned one, it would be reserved for certain trips."
A former pilot told X (formerly Twitter) that the aircraft belongs to Nas and is simply painted with Al Hilal branding; Al Hilal gets priority in its use under the current agreement, while the owner can schedule other flights like any other commercial aircraft.
He clarified that the arrangement is a commercial marketing partnership, not proof of ownership by the club. Some fans even floated the idea that Riyadh-based airlines want to replicate the concept with Al Nassr if their team becomes an official carrier, illustrating the marketing impact of the idea.
Aside from the debate, Al Hilal is preparing for a crucial ACL Elite Group match against Al Gharafa in Doha on Monday. They enter the game with a perfect 9-point haul and sit top of the group, while Al Gharafa has 3 points from a win and two losses.
Historically, Al Hilal has the better record against Qatari clubs, having played 43 matches with 25 wins, 10 draws, and 8 losses. They have met Al Gharafa seven times, winning five, drawing one, and losing once in 2010 in an extended tie including extra time.
The most recent meeting saw Al Hilal win 3-0 in Riyadh, with goals by Marcus Leonardo, Sergej Savic, and Aleksandar Mitrovic.
In the end, the debate rages on—ownership vs branding, private property vs corporate partnership, and whether a plane can ever overshadow a club's performance on the pitch.
Punchline 1: If selling the deal is easier than selling the dream, at least the plane sells the dream in three languages and a color palette nobody can spell without a map.
Punchline 2: They say football is a game of inches; apparently, branding is a game of inches of paint on a jet—watch out for turbulence in the transfer of money and style.
