Al-Kholood Club

Al-Kholood Club — meaning "Immortality" — are one of the most intriguing stories in modern Saudi football. Founded in 1970 in Ar Rass, Qassim Province, the club spent decades in obscurity before earning promotion to the Saudi Pro League for the first time in 2024. But it is off the pitch where Al-Kholood have made their biggest headlines.

In July 2025, the club was sold to American investor Ben Harburg, making Al-Kholood the first Saudi football club to be 100% foreign-owned. This landmark transaction positioned the club as a test case for the broader privatization of Saudi football, with observers across the kingdom watching to see whether foreign ownership could bring the investment, expertise, and ambition needed to transform a small-market club into a sustainable top-flight competitor.

English manager Des Buckingham was appointed in August 2025 to lead the project on the pitch. Buckingham's career spans youth development at Oxford United, assistant roles with New Zealand's national teams, and a successful stint as head coach of Mumbai City FC in India, where he won the Indian Super League title in 2022-23.

Based in Ar Rass — the same city as Al-Hazem, with whom they share a stadium — Al-Kholood face the dual challenge of establishing themselves in the Saudi Pro League while building the infrastructure and identity that foreign ownership demands.