DUBAI: When one thinks of football in Saudi Arabia, the big names of Al-Nasser and Al-Ittihad often come to mind. Traveling east of Jeddah and even further past Riyadh, a giant is emerging in the women’s game. 

Al Khobar’s Al-Qadsiah Football Club has experienced a rapid ascension over the last two months. The team has had a jump-start to the 2026-2027 Saudi Women’s Premier League season, recording a 10-0 victory over Al-Ahli and a 14-0 win against Al-Taraji. Another landmark came when the women’s team recently became the first to play at the rebranded Armco stadium. Things are on the up.

Manager Giles Barnes, who took the reins in July 2026, is no stranger to a challenge. During his playing career he represented West Bromwich Albion and Fulham in England before moving to sides in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and India. A veteran of the Premier League and Major League Soccer (MLS), Barnes’vast tactical experience makes him well-equipped to manage a team of diverse backgrounds and playing styles. 

Indeed, it is undeniable that Al-Qadsiah has become a force to be reckoned with in Saudi football.

Home-Grown Talent

The club’s start to the season has not gone unnoticed and was best demonstrated when Al-Qadsiah recorded 11 call-ups to the senior Saudi Women’s National team and its U-20 side for overseas training camps between oct. 5 and 14.

This talented group included goalkeeper Sara Khalid, midfielder Mariam Al-Tamimi, and Maram Al-Yahya, further establishing Al-Qadsiah as an incubator for domestic talent. 

“Having 11 players representing the team in the senior national team and the U20’s, is a reflection of the talents that we have in our club and the work that’s being done in the club,” Khalid told Arab News. 

“Today women’s football is developing drastically in Saudi and many players, especially young players are having more opportunities to play, to compete, to get experience and I think Al-Qadsiah is playing a big role in that. 

“They’re committing to developing and growing young Saudi players. Today we have an academy at the club with five different age groups. This only shows you the commitment of the club and how much they want to develop the young Saudi players

“Today they have a safe space where they can grow, learn, compete and this will eventually help the first team at the club and in the future, I believe more players will be representing the national team across different age groups.” 

Khalid has built up quite an impressive resume. She was part of the first FIFA recognised Saudi Arabia women’s national football team and even captained the side in its first international game in a 2-0 win over the Seychelles in February 2022. 

“Honestly, this is one of the proudest moments for me in my career,” Khalid she said of this remarkable achievement.

“Having the honour to be one of the first players to represent the Saudi national team, and not only that, but to captain the game and the players at the first ever international match, I believe is something that I will always carry with me and it’s something very meaningful to me.” 

Even then Khalid knew she and the Saudi women’s national team were trailblazers. 

“I also remember back then we all knew that we were part of something much bigger than just playing a football match,” she added. 

“We were basically writing history, we were opening the doors and paving the way for the younger generations of Saudi young players who want to compete and play this game. 

“I believe, looking back at where we started, how women’s football was back then and the development that we see today, this is something i’m really proud of personally, something I think everyone is proud of and it’s something i’ll always carry with me forever.” 

Foreign Transfer Uptake

Not only has Al-Qadsiah’s rise manifested in increased national team representation, but also through an upward growth in high-profile transfers from abroad. 

During the 2022-2023 season, there were 31 foreign players in the Saudi Women’s Premier League. Comparatively, in the current 2026-2027 season, the number of expatriate players in the top tier of women’s football in the kingdom is 47. 

A large part of this targeted increase of foreign transfers is Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030”. Women’s Football is an integral component of this strategy, evidenced by national female participation in sport increasing by 150 percent since 2015 with 330,000 registered athletes.  

The highlight of Al-Qadsiah’s summer transfer window was undoubtedly the signing of Spain’s Esther González.  

Having won the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup with Spain and most recently playing in the United States for New York & New Jersey's Gotham FC, González made the decision to transfer to Al-Qadsiah in late August. In effect, this move made her the first FIFA World Cup Champion to join the Saudi Women’s Premier League. 

In the past three years, González’s professional pursuits have seen her play for football teams on three different continents. While at Real Madrid, she scored 39 goals across 77 games, leaving the club in 2023 as its all-time top women’s scorer. 

González continued her legacy across the Atlantic after signing for Gotham FC in August 2023. On 11 November of the same year, González’s header from Midge Purce’s corner scored the winning goal against OL Reign, earning Gotham the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League Championship title. 

The following season, on 5 October 2024, González provided an assist to Rose Lavelle before she scored two goals herself in 4 minutes and 20 seconds, becoming the fastest three-goal contribution in the history of the NWSL. 

This long list of achievements has no doubt added to Al-Qadsiah’s rapid growth. 

One of Al-Qadsiah’s long-time foreign players is French Midfielder Léa Le Garrec who signed with the team in September 2024. 

Bringing a vast amount of experience with her, she previously played for clubs such as Brighton & Hove Albion, Paris Saint Germain and FC Fleury. Additionally, Le Garrec has 15 caps for the French national team and even scored a goal at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup against Panama. 

“We have seen a lot of difference because when I came we didn’t train in the academy,” Le Garrec said on the growth of the Al-Qadsiah’s women’s team. 

“In the last year, the club gave us a lot of opportunities to improve with a good pitch, with facilities, with our own medical room, our own meeting room, our own changing room and everything for recovery.” 

“Sometimes we go to where the men’s team are at their High Performance Centre,” she added. 

“For us, that’s the best, we cannot go every time because it’s for the men’s team but we go there. So, the club gives us the best facilities to win the games. 

“For me, this year, I find we have everything, even competing with the facilities in Europe, we have the best [facilities] in Saudi.”

“I am very proud to be part of this team, to be here and to help the club grow quickly,” she went on to say.

Having played at club level in three countries, Le Garrec reflected on the diversity of her playing career and perceptions towards women’s football. 

“The big difference is that our board, our club, ARAMCO, care about the women’s team and for me, it’s the most important because I have played in a lot of clubs and the presidents sometimes don't care about the women’s team. 

“So I think we are lucky, sometimes there’s pressure but we are lucky to have this.”