Several top level footballers made the move to the Saudi Pro League in 2023
Many stars are earning eye-watering salaries since heading to the Middle East

The luxuries and high-end lifestyle on offer to stars in the Saudi Pro League (SPL) has been revealed.

2023 was the year that Saudi Arabia really made its mark on football as they built upon their success at last year’s World Cup – where they beat eventual winners Argentina in the group stage – by luring a host of high-profile stars to their domestic league.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the first big name to move to the kingdom, signing a staggering £173m-a-year-deal after his acrimonious exit from Manchester United.

He was followed by several huge names in the summer as SPL clubs splurged more than £700million on the likes of Karim Benzema, Neymar and Premier League stars such as N’Golo Kante, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.

And in an investigation by The Times, a snapshot into life for these footballers and their families in a deeply conservative state has been provided.

A snapshot into life for footballers and their families in Saudi Arabia has been revealed

Ronaldo was the biggest name to move to the Middle East and he has been joined by his children and partner Georgina Rodriguez (left)

Rodriguez and Ronaldo required special dispensation to live together as they are not married

The likes of Jordan Henderson was one of several European stars to move to the Saudi Pro League this summer. The former Liverpool skipper plays for Al-Ettifaq but lives in Bahrain

Firstly, along with several players, some big-name managers also moved to the Middle East, including Steven Gerrard.

However, according to the report, both Gerrard and his former Liverpool colleague Henderson reside in Bahrain, a tiny island nation of skyscrapers, white sand beaches and a more liberal lifestyle than its border nation Saudi Arabia.

Their children are enrolled at the local British school, while they are occasionally seen having a drink in the nearby rugby club.

It is a short cross-border commute to Dammam, where Al-Ettifaq are based, with the journey taking around 35 minutes.

Nevertheless, most of the other new arrivals to the SPL do live in Saudi Arabia with a whole host of amenities and high-scale luxuries available to the stars earning enormous salaries, including Neymar, who is reportedly on a tax-free two-year contract worth £260million at Al-Hilal.

The report claims the players live in gigantic villas, which could be as large as 30,000 square feet, or in luxury hotels, with Ronaldo and his partner Georgina Rodriguez originally basing themselves in the five-star Four Seasons hotel in Riyadh.

Coupled with the fantastic accommodation, the players also have private jets available to them.

The Times report also explains how players at lower levels would even receive access to the club’s or sponsor’s private planes, with flights treated like taxis in the kingdom.

There are similarly world-class restaurants available including the likes of Novikov or Hakkasan, where dishes cost as much as £600, and meals are often handed out for free by Michelin-starred chefs.

One source told the Times: ‘Where’s there a request or demand, there’s no limit. Everything is organised, everything is arranged and facilitated… there’s a package that’s offered to really make them comfortable, not to make them homesick.’

Players are also unofficially expected to provide good publicity to the league and Saudi Arabia on their social media accounts.

Ronaldo is by far the biggest name in the SPL and he and his partner Rodriguez required special dispensation to live together given they are not married.

Despite being a deeply conservative nation, with a strong Muslim population, social restrictions are loosening, while in private compounds that many stars live in, these are regularly not even present.

Alcohol is strictly banned in Saudi Arabia, but given their status as athletes, footballers don’t see this as a problem.

Even if they do want alcohol, the report claims it is easy to source, either through smuggling or diplomatic connections, with national restrictions set to loosen further in the coming years as part of Saudi’s Vision 2030.

Steven Gerrard – who manages Al-Ettifaq – also reportedly lives in Bahrain, where it is a 35-minute commute across the border to Dammam, where his side are based

Some of the private villas stars live in are reportedly as large as 30,000 square feet, while one source in the report said they are treated like princes when they head out to restaurants