ALKHOBAR: When Nadeen Kaaki learned in 2020 that girls could play organized football in Saudi Arabia, she did not need much convincing to be one of them.
The Saudi footballer, now 21, joined a small academy called Tigers and began a journey that would take her from youth football to a national team call-up and her first professional contract.
“I still can’t describe how happy I was when I found out there was football for girls in Saudi Arabia,” Kaaki told Arab News. “For me, the news was huge.”
What kept her playing through the years that followed was passion.
“Every time I thought about stopping, I would remember the whole journey I had been through, all the hard work, patience and effort I had put in, and I would tell myself it would be a shame for all of this to go to waste,” she said.
Her progression came alongside the rapid development of women’s football in the Kingdom.
In the 2022-2023 season, Kaaki and her first club, Fakhr Jeddah (Jeddah Pride), finished first in the Jeddah region and third overall in the First Division. That season, she was also named best player in the inaugural edition of the regional training centers in Jeddah.
Then came the moment she considers one of the most important of her career.
During the 2023-2024 season, Kaaki was called up to Saudi Arabia’s U-20 women’s national team and attended two training camps in Riyadh.
“My first national team call-up was one of those moments I will never forget,” she said. “I was going through a slightly difficult period at the time, and when I received the news, I was happier than I can describe. Even now, whenever I remember it, I feel the same way.”
Seeing her family celebrate with her made the moment more significant.
“It meant a lot to me because it came after waiting, hard work and patience, at a time when I really needed news like that.”
Her father was part of that journey from the beginning.
“He was with me from the first day,” Kaaki said. “He accompanied me at every step, went through the trouble of taking me back and forth, waited for me for hours until I finished training and never missed a match, whether I was playing or not.”
Her coaches also played important roles. Kaaki credits Naif Al-Sahabi, currently coach of Al-Hilal’s U-15 girls, with supporting her through several stages.
“He wasn’t just a coach. He was a teacher and a source of support, and he stood by me at every stage,” she said. “He was the one who gave me the opportunity with the national team and Al-Ittihad.”
She also credits coach Khulaiwi, who she says was the first coach to believe in her ability: “He was patient with me and believed in my potential, and that made a big difference.”
Kaaki would play for First Division Al-Wehda in 2023-24. Another big opportunity came in the summer of 2024, when Kaaki attended a camp by Spanish club Sporting Gijon in Jeddah, held in collaboration with Jeddah Professional Academy.
Spanish coaches named her the top-ranked female player at the camp, earning her a place at another camp at the club’s base outside the Kingdom.
The following season saw Kaaki sign her first professional contract with Al-Ittihad in the Women’s Premier League, where she made two appearances. Her progress meant she had to learn how to fit school around a demanding football schedule.
“Honestly, most of my time goes to training,” she said. “Sometimes I have to be at the club four hours before training, so my day is usually waking up, going to the club, training and coming home to rest.
“I used to take my books with me to the club and use any free time to finish my homework or study. Even at school, if I had some time, I tried to make use of it.”
Exam periods required more flexibility. When subjects were manageable, she continued training. When they demanded more preparation, she would temporarily step away from sessions to study.
Since entering football in 2020, Kaaki has watched pathways develop for players considerably younger than she was when she started.
“I honestly think women’s football in Saudi Arabia has developed enormously, whether in terms of media coverage, support or the number of opportunities available,” she said.
“There are now more age categories — U-20, U-17, U-15 and U-13. All of this has happened in only six years, which for me is a major achievement, and I still think the best is yet to come.”
Kaaki has also started to develop another side of her career. In 2026, she completed the AFC Women’s D Coaching License course and received her certificate from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.
In 2025 she joined Jeddah Ladies in the First Division and then Al-Himmah, where her contract has now expired. Kaaki is now preparing to move to another top tier club and, eventually, secure a place with the senior Saudi national team.
“My goal is to return to the Premier League and represent the senior national team,” she said. “I want to reach a stage where I am completely satisfied with my level and everything I have given.”
For Kaaki, the longer-term measure of success is how she feels about the career she eventually leaves behind.
“I hope to be somewhere that appreciates the effort I put in,” she said. “And when the day comes for me to stop playing, I want to stop feeling satisfied with my journey and every step I worked for and feel that I really achieved what I dreamed of.”
