Saudi Arabia has been steadily expanding its sporting initiatives over the past few years. The Middle Eastern nation has already secured the hosting rights for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, and now it is looking to make a mark in cricket. As part of this effort, the country will host its first professional women’s cricket tournament.
Saudi Cricket, the nation’s governing body, has partnered with FairBreak to organise the Women’s Global T20 Challenge. The two sides have signed a five-year agreement, and if all goes according to plan, the tournament will begin in Saudi Arabia in 2026.
The Women’s Global T20 Challenge will run for at least five seasons under this partnership, featuring players from more than 35 countries. Both Saudi Cricket and FairBreak have confirmed the collaboration in an official statement.
FairBreak, established in 2013 as a private organisation, aims to eliminate gender inequality in sport. It previously organised the Global Invitational T20 in Dubai in 2022 and Hong Kong in 2023. A third edition was planned in the United States in 2023, but it did not take place.
The tournament is part of FairBreak’s wider objectives, which include implementing structured training programmes, developing talent in women’s cricket, raising public awareness, inspiring the next generation of players, fostering international collaboration, and bringing female cricketers from different countries together.
