Dunes League T20: Schedule, Venues and Everything About Saudi Arabia’s First T20 League

In a major development, Saudi Arabia is set to launch its own cricket league during the latter part of this year. The league, known as the Dunes League T20 marks a new era in the history of cricket in the country.

The league has been officially sanctionoed by the Saudi Arabia Cricket Federation (SACF), making it the first-ever franchise league to be played in the Kingdom. The decision shows the country's ambitions to grow in cricket in the future.

Dunes League T20 Schedule 2026

The Dunes League T20, Saudi Arabia's first franchise league, will start in October 2026, although the full schedule is not out yet. The Dunes League T20 venue has been confirmed and the matches will be played in Taif, near Jeddah.

The league marks the arrival of Saudi Arabia into the global cricketing map. It will also help the cricketing talent inside the country to develop further. To help the tournament's promotion, legendary India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has been chosen as the Dunes League T20 ambassador.

Overall, six teams will be competing in the tournament's inaugural edition, which will feature the retired cricket players across the globe. Although retired, the inclusion of some of the best cricketers in the world gives the league a huge opportunity to make a mark in its opening edition.

Saudi Arabia's Growing Interest in Cricket

The launch of new Saudi Arabia cricket league shows the Kingdom's growing interest in cricket. Saudi has already been investing heavily on other global sports like Football, Golf, and other sports to diversify their oil-rich economy.

As expected, the Dunes League T20 will pay heavily to the participating players. The salaries of the cricketers can even touch USD 1,00,000. Apart from it, the league is likely to feature four players who have played international cricket for full member nations over the last two years.

In cricket, the nation has been involved in the hosting of auction of IPL, the biggest cricket league in the world. They were also rumors of the country trying to begin a rival cricket league to Indian Premier League. However, there is no official response to it yet.