Benfica establishes partnership with Heights & Jewels KSA Group

Sport Lisboa e Benfica and the Heights & Jewels KSA Group (HJKSA) announce a partnership that will aim to explore new sporting and commercial opportunities in Saudi Arabia and implement the Club's training methodology in this region.

The partnership, named "Making Saudi Heroes", will consist of the creation of a working group composed of Benfica representatives, HJKSA representatives and a dedicated team of Benfica professionals based in Riyadh. The group will evaluate opportunities that may arise in the territory, in relation to the development of the sports industry, training of high-performance and Olympic athletes in a range of sports, including football, basketball, handball, futsal, volleyball, rink hockey, and track and field.

Benfica has a strong international reputation for its excellence in talent development, having won the World's Best Soccer Academy Award three times at the prestigious Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai. Several of the Club's athletes have also participated in the Olympic Games in various sports throughout its history. 

The HJKSA Group is a diversified group of companies based in Saudi Arabia. Over the years, it has attracted several companies to KSA and acted as a springboard for many to expand throughout the MENA region. Following the guidelines and ambitions of the Saudi Vision 2030 program, the group strives to establish the best alliances in the international market, bringing innovative, disruptive and attractive opportunities to Saudi Arabia.

SL Benfica's President, Rui Costa, said: "We are very honored to be part of the global change that Saudi Arabia is making through sport and to contribute our knowledge, experience and talent to the project. Benfica is a leading brand when it comes to high performance training, and we are very committed to the new routes that this project will bring into the future in the region. We believe that the HJKSA will be the vehicle for that to happen."

HRH Princess Jawahir Bint Saud Bint Nayef Al Saud, CEO of HKJSA, said: "Saudi Arabia is experiencing a period when the economy is thriving, and the country is being reborn. There is an ocean of untapped potential that needs to be leveraged by local and foreign investors. After the launch of Vision 2030, the growth of the Saudi market will continue, which is opening doors for innovative investments in a sustainable business environment. The Saudi economic market has been undergoing dynamic and positive changes. As such, Saudi Arabia is becoming an attractive investment destination offering great opportunities in various sectors, exceptional resources and market conditions, with regulations that foster business development. The partnership with Benfica, the best youth soccer academy in the world, reflects our ambitions to achieve a level of excellence in sports."