Saudi Cricket Launches World Cricket Festival 2025: A New Era Where Cricket Meets Culture
In a landmark moment for both sport and cultural diplomacy, Saudi Arabia officially launched the much-anticipated World Cricket Festival (WCF) 2025, signaling the Kingdom’s most ambitious foray yet into the world of international cricket and global entertainment. The launch event, hosted at the prestigious Radisson Blu Hotel in Riyadh, attracted an elite roster of attendees — from senior government officials to regional and international sporting leaders — as they unveiled the Kingdom’s cricket-centric vision for November 2025.
The upcoming World Cricket Festival is more than just a game — it’s the embodiment of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s sweeping strategy to transform the Kingdom into a global hub for sport, culture, and leisure. Following successful investments in football, Formula 1, boxing, and tennis, the push into cricket is rooted in the sport’s immense global popularity and deep cultural resonance, particularly with the Kingdom’s expatriate communities.
Set to take place in Jeddah, the four-day cricket and culture extravaganza will feature an eclectic mix of international matches, live performances, family entertainment, and interactive fan zones, creating a unique “day-and-night” festival atmosphere.
At the heart of this transformation is the newly established Cricket Investment Company (CIC) — the commercial arm of the Saudi Arabia Cricket Federation (SACF). Designed to spearhead the growth of cricket from the grassroots up, CIC is actively nurturing partnerships, most notably with Infinix Holding Ltd, to develop pathways for youth engagement, professional development, and national team progression.
Unlike traditional formats, the WCF’s showpiece attraction will be the revolutionary F2 Double Wicket World Cup. This fast-paced tournament, featuring 10 international sides, will showcase an innovative two-player-per-team structure and introduce new concepts such as the Super Sub rule and the Fireball over — designed to maximize drama for both stadium spectators and global streaming audiences.
“Young audiences crave speed, energy, and unpredictability,” said organizers, hinting at a broader goal of transforming cricket into an entertainment spectacle that resonates beyond traditional fans.
In sheer economic terms, WCF’s debut is expected to generate an estimated SAR 51.6 million, with ambitious targets to exceed SAR 150 million by 2028. However, its longer-term value lies in positioning Saudi Arabia as a permanent fixture in the global cricket calendar.
HRH Prince Saud Bin Meshal Al-Saud, Chairman of SACF, reinforced this mission by stating:
“The partnership aligns with our core objectives as a federation. We are working on developing the game at its grassroots levels by creating opportunities, a professional set-up, and a better quality of life for everyone involved in the sport in Saudi Arabia. It is a natural alliance with Vision 2030.”
The World Cricket Festival is only the beginning. Over the next 18 months, CIC and Infinix Holding Ltd will collaborate on a comprehensive cricket roadmap, launching several high-impact leagues and community events across Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region:
- F2: Double Wicket World Cup – Officially launching at WCF in November 2025
- TX Arabia (10 Over Cricket) – A dynamic, youth-targeted format
- SCPL (Saudi Corporate Premier League) – Combining sport and business networking
- F20: Foundation Day Cup – Scheduled for a return in early 2026
- GPL (Gulf Premier League – Soft Ball Edition) – A recreational platform for community-level engagement
These leagues are designed to create continuity in athletic development, spectator engagement, and commercial sponsorship opportunities, ensuring a year-round cricket ecosystem.
Earlier this year, this blueprint saw early success through the inaugural Saudi Foundation Day Cup — a nine-day T20 event that drew international stars and commanded significant global streaming traction, establishing proof of concept that cricket in the Kingdom is not only viable but thriving.
A key driver behind this momentum is Infinix Holding Ltd, under the leadership of CEO Waqqas Alvi. The company’s flagship brand, FIREOX, first rose to prominence in 2018 and has since become synonymous with elite performance sportswear, operating in over 56 countries. Notably, it serves as the official kit partner of the Saudi national cricket team since 2022 and continues to supply elite clubs across Saudi Arabia and Doha.
“FIREOX began as a bold idea and has become a global brand,” said Waqqas Alvi, CEO of Infinix Holding Ltd. “From outfitting the Saudi national team to reaching athletes in more than 50 countries, FIREOX is proof that Saudi-led brands can compete globally. Now, with our events and digital platforms, we’re taking the same ambition to cricket itself — building not just a sport, but a movement.”
Driven by this philosophy, Infinix Holding Ltd is introducing a suite of new platforms:
- FIRE Set Go – Fan engagement and ticketing
- CricArabia – A regional cricket media platform
- #BeTheNext – A scouting and development tool to identify emerging talent
Together, these initiatives reflect Saudi Arabia’s commitment to developing sustainable sports infrastructure, while using cricket as a conducing force for community building, international exchange, and economic diversification.
As the Kingdom prepares to host its biggest cricket festival to date, all eyes will be on Jeddah in November 2025 as Saudi Arabia steps boldly onto the world stage — not just as a venue, but as a visionary leader reimagining how sport, culture, and commerce converge.
— Team V.DIR-EM-UAE
