Athlete Image Rights in Saudi Arabia 2026: What Clubs, Sponsors and Players Must Know

Last updated: September 2026

Athlete image rights saudi arabia have moved from a niche contractual afterthought to a central commercial concern in 2026, as the Kingdom’s new Sports Law and the establishment of the Saudi Center for Sports Arbitration (SCSA) reshape how likeness, endorsement and merchandising deals are structured and enforced. Clubs, sponsors, agents and players now face a clearer, but more demanding, legal environment in which every commercial use of a player’s name, face, voice or biometric likeness should be traced to a written licence. This guide takes a position: it tells you which licensing model to choose, which dispute forum to use, and which contract clauses to insist on, rather than hedging across every possibility.

It is written for decision-makers who need to act, not simply to understand. Throughout, practical positions reflect firm practice and jurisdictional interpretation; statutory points are anchored to primary sources.

Decision guide: how to licence, protect and enforce athlete image and likeness rights in Saudi Arabia after the 2026 Sports Law and SCSA reforms, for clubs, sponsors, agents and players.

Legal basis and scope of athlete image rights saudi arabia

The commercial exploitation of a player’s persona in the Kingdom sits at the intersection of contract law, intellectual property, privacy and the sport-specific framework introduced in 2026. Understanding where the right originates, and who can grant it, is the first step in any deal.

What Sports Law 2026 changes

The new Sports Law, issued by Royal Decree No. M/121 dated 10/06/1447H and which came into force in June 2026, modernises the governance of sport in Saudi Arabia and replaces the previous framework. Critically for commercial stakeholders, it formalises the framework for sports dispute resolution through the Saudi Center for Sports Arbitration. The reform clarifies commercial governance across clubs and federations and channels sports-related disputes, including many commercial and image-rights matters, toward a specialist forum. For sponsors and clubs, the practical effect is twofold: contracts should now be drafted with SCSA arbitration in mind, and commercial rights structures should be reviewed against the updated governance expectations.

Where a licence touches player registration, league participation or federation-level rights, the new law makes contractual clarity essential.

How image rights are treated in Saudi law

Saudi law does not codify a single, standalone “image right” in the way some Western publicity-rights statutes do. Instead, protection for athlete image rights saudi arabia is assembled from overlapping sources: contract (the licence itself), intellectual property (trademarks over names and logos, copyright in photographs and designs), and privacy and personality interests. The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) administers trademark and copyright registration and provides enforcement pathways that are highly relevant where a likeness is fixed in a logo, a product design or a copyrighted image. Because there is no automatic statutory monopoly over a player’s persona, the written licence carries the commercial weight, its scope defines what the parties can and cannot do.

Interaction with international rules

Cross-border deals add another layer. Where clubs or sponsors operate across jurisdictions, FIFA governance principles and international IP norms, including WIPO guidance on personality and publicity rights, inform how player commercial rights are allocated and how conflicts with federation or league rights are managed. Deals involving foreign sponsors should reconcile Saudi contractual mechanics with these international expectations from the outset.

Who holds and can assign image rights?

Ownership and exploitation are not the same thing. A player generally holds the personal interest in their own likeness, but the right to exploit it commercially can be shared, assigned or restricted through employment contracts, league rules and agency arrangements. Getting the chain of authority right is the difference between an enforceable licence and a costly dispute.

Players versus clubs: employment and registration rules

Under Saudi player contracts and league frameworks, clubs frequently secure a defined slice of a player’s commercial rights, typically for collective, team-context uses such as squad photography, kit imagery and stadium activations, while the player retains individual endorsement rights. The precise boundary is set by the contract and the applicable league rules, not by default law. A club that wants to run a solo campaign built around a star player’s face needs express contractual authority; a general employment relationship does not automatically confer it. Sponsors dealing with a club should verify that the club actually holds the specific rights it purports to license, particularly for individual (as opposed to team) image use.

Third-party licensing and transfer

Agents commonly negotiate and, where authorised, assign or sub-license player image rights. Any third-party licence must trace back to a valid grant of authority, a power of attorney, an agency mandate or an express contractual permission. Where FIFA or league clearance is relevant to a player’s status, sponsors should confirm that commercial arrangements do not conflict with registration or transfer restrictions. Unclear agency authority is one of the most common sources of downstream disputes.

Minors and guardians

Young athletes require special care. Consent to exploit the image of a minor should be given by a guardian, documented in writing, and drafted with narrower scope and shorter duration. Data and privacy protections apply with particular force to minors, and any licence should build in enhanced approval rights and clear termination triggers. As a practical view, sponsors should treat minor image licensing as a distinct, higher-risk category rather than a variant of an adult licence.

Licensing models and contract mechanics for player image rights saudi

This is where deals are won or lost. The licensing model you choose determines control, revenue, administrative load and the ease of enforcement. Below we set out the commercial licence types, the essential clauses, and the financial structures, then give you a side-by-side comparison and a decision framework.

Key commercial licence types

• Exclusive licence. The sponsor or partner secures sole rights to exploit the athlete’s likeness within a defined product category, territory and term. Best for flagship brand campaigns and sole merchandising partnerships.
• Non-exclusive licence. The player can license the same likeness to multiple parties. Best for diversifying revenue and testing emerging markets.
• Endorsement deals. The athlete actively promotes a product or service, often combining likeness use with appearance and social-media obligations.
• Merchandising licences. Cover physical goods, apparel, collectibles, printed imagery, and require tight quality control and anti-counterfeit provisions.
• Digital and emerging formats. Licensing player likeness saudi now routinely extends to NFTs, in-game avatars and metaverse assets, which demand bespoke drafting around sublicensing, perpetuity and data use.

Essential contract clauses

A robust image licence should be built around a defined clause set. As firm practice, the following are non-negotiable in serious sponsorship contracts saudi 2026:

• Grant language. Precisely define the rights granted, name, image, likeness, voice and any biometric likeness, and whether the grant is exclusive or non-exclusive, with territory, channels and term stated explicitly.
• Scope and permitted channels. List exactly where and how the likeness may appear (broadcast, print, in-stadium, social, digital goods), and expressly reserve anything not granted to the athlete.
• Approvals and image approval rights. Set out an approval workflow with fixed turnaround times so creative use cannot be blocked indefinitely.
• Representations and warranties. The licensor warrants it holds the rights granted and that the use will not infringe third-party rights.
• Indemnities. Allocate liability for misuse, infringement and reputational harm.
• Sublicensing. State whether the sponsor may sublicense, and on what conditions, essential for merchandising and digital distribution chains.
• Data and privacy. Obtain explicit consent for processing personal and biometric data connected to image use, with particular rigour for digital formats.
• Moral rights and reputation. Include protections allowing the athlete to object to derogatory or damaging uses.
• Audit, reporting and termination. Provide audit rights over sales and royalties, clear reporting obligations, and breach-based termination triggers.

Financial structures and payment models

Commercial value can be structured in several ways, and the model should match the licence type. Flat fees suit short, defined campaigns; royalties and revenue shares suit merchandising and longer exploitation; minimum guarantees protect the athlete against underperformance while preserving upside. Merchandising pools allow revenue to be aggregated and distributed across a squad or a portfolio of products. High-level tax and VAT considerations should be addressed early: commercial sports revenue may attract VAT and reporting obligations at the rate set by the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA), and cross-border payments raise withholding and structuring questions that warrant specialist input.

As a practical view, the payment model should always be paired with audit rights, a royalty without an audit clause is difficult to enforce.

Comparison: exclusive licence vs non-exclusive licence (player image rights), decision checklist

Decision framework: which licence, which forum

Choose an exclusive licence when:

• The sponsor or club needs full control of the likeness, for example a flagship brand campaign or a sole merchandising partnership, and expects to make a high upfront investment.
• Exclusivity is required for a defined territory or product category and the athlete accepts a guaranteed minimum in exchange for limiting third-party licensing.
• The club holds strong bargaining power and can offer premium guarantees that justify locking up the rights.

Choose a non-exclusive licence when:

• The player wants to maximise commercial opportunities across multiple sponsors and retain control for selective campaigns.
• Market value is still emerging, as it often is in digital goods and NFTs, and flexibility to test channels is more valuable than exclusivity.
• The sponsor wants lower cost, can accept less control, and is running short-term or regional activations.

Arbitration versus courts: choose SCSA arbitration for most commercial image-rights disputes, it offers specialist expertise, speed and confidentiality, and it should be built into the contract via an arbitration clause. Reserve the Saudi courts for situations where you need urgent injunctive relief, immediate execution against local assets, or where the dispute involves criminal counterfeiting or public/regulatory issues that arbitration cannot resolve.

Enforcement and dispute resolution: SCSA versus courts

An image licence is only as good as your ability to enforce it. The 2026 reforms give commercial parties a specialist forum, but the courts and IP enforcement mechanisms retain a vital role for urgent and criminal matters.

Using the Saudi Center for Sports Arbitration

The Saudi Center for Sports Arbitration is the dedicated forum for sports disputes under the new regime, and for most commercial image-rights conflicts it should be the default choice. Its advantages are concrete: panels with sports-sector expertise, procedures oriented toward speed, and confidentiality that protects sensitive commercial terms and reputations. Parties can present documentary and witness evidence, seek remedies including damages and declaratory relief, and, where the framework allows, pursue interim measures. Arbitral awards are enforced through the competent Saudi enforcement courts, so the practical route to recovery runs from a specialist decision to court-backed execution.

To use the SCSA, the underlying contract must contain a valid arbitration clause; drafting that clause correctly at the outset is the single most important enforcement decision a sponsor or club makes.

Courts and IP enforcement

Where speed or criminal conduct is in play, the courts and IP enforcement machinery are indispensable. SAIP administers trademark and copyright protection and provides enforcement pathways for infringing goods. For unauthorised merchandising, remedies can include injunctive relief, damages, customs measures at the border and, in serious cases, criminal sanctions against counterfeiters. These routes are particularly valuable when an arbitration clause is absent, when a third-party infringer is not bound by any contract, or when only a court can grant the urgent order needed to stop goods reaching the market. In practice, IP registration done in advance is what makes rapid enforcement possible.

Cross-border enforcement

International deals require deliberate drafting of the seat, governing law and choice-of-forum clauses. Where awards or judgments must be enforced across borders, established international enforcement principles, including those reflected in the New York Convention framework, to which Saudi Arabia is a party, become relevant. Sponsors and clubs entering multi-jurisdictional arrangements should ensure their contracts specify the seat of arbitration and governing law so that enforcement is predictable wherever the counterparty’s assets sit.

IP, registration and parallel protections

Because Saudi law assembles image protection from several sources, layering intellectual property registrations over a licence dramatically strengthens both value and enforceability. Registration converts a contractual right into a defensible asset.

When to register trademarks and merchandising designs

Register early. Player names, signature logos, slogans and distinctive brand marks used in merchandising should be filed as trademarks with SAIP before a campaign launches. Product designs and distinctive get-up should be protected as well. A registered mark makes it far easier to secure customs action and injunctive relief against counterfeit goods, and it strengthens any claim brought before the SCSA or the courts. As a practical view, the merchandising programme and the trademark filing strategy should be planned together, not sequentially.

Copyright, database and moral rights considerations

Photographs, video, artwork and product graphics attract copyright, which typically vests in the creator unless assigned. Any licence should therefore address ownership of newly created content and secure assignments or licences from photographers and designers. Moral-rights-style protections allow an athlete to object to derogatory or distorting uses, and these should be reflected in the contract to protect reputation.

Customs, anti-counterfeit and inspection measures

Customs recordal and border enforcement are powerful tools against unauthorised merchandising. With registered rights on record, rights-holders can seek the interception of infringing goods, supported by inspection and seizure measures. Building an anti-counterfeit protocol, including recordals, market monitoring and a rapid takedown process, should be part of any serious merchandising programme rather than an afterthought triggered only once fakes appear.

Commercial compliance: advertising, data and privacy, VAT

Running a campaign compliantly is as important as licensing it correctly. Three compliance checkpoints deserve attention for both in-stadium and online activations.

Advertising standards and sports sponsorship regulation

Sponsorship and advertising activity in the Kingdom is subject to advertising standards and sector-specific expectations, and certain categories of product face restrictions. Sponsors should confirm that campaign content, claims and category associations comply with applicable advertising rules before launch, particularly for high-profile events where scrutiny is greatest.

Data protection and consent for image use

Using an athlete’s image often involves processing personal data under the Kingdom’s Personal Data Protection Law, and biometric likeness raises heightened risk. Written, specific consent covering the intended uses, including digital and data-driven uses, should be obtained and documented. Where campaigns collect audience data or deploy the likeness in interactive or data-linked formats, the licence and privacy documentation must align. Consent for minors requires additional safeguards.

Tax and VAT high-level flags

Commercial sports revenue can attract VAT and reporting obligations under rules administered by ZATCA, and cross-border payments may trigger withholding and structuring considerations. These points should be flagged early in deal design so that fees, royalties and revenue shares are quoted and documented on a consistent tax basis. This is a high-level flag, not tax advice, obtain specialist input for specific transactions.

Checklists, sample clauses and negotiation playbook

Consolidated, stakeholder-specific checklists keep deals disciplined. Use these as a starting point and adapt them to the transaction.

Club checklist

• Confirm exactly which individual and collective image rights the club holds under player contracts and league rules.
• Verify authority to grant before offering rights to sponsors.
• Reconcile any sponsor grant against existing team-wide and league sponsorship commitments.
• Insert SCSA arbitration and governing-law clauses in all commercial contracts.

Sponsor checklist

• Confirm the counterparty actually holds the specific rights being licensed.
• Define territory, channels, term and exclusivity precisely.
• Secure image approval rights with fixed turnaround times.
• Obtain indemnities, data consents and, for merchandising, audit and anti-counterfeit provisions.

Player/agent checklist and sample clause bank

• Document consent in writing with granular scope, duration and fee terms.
• Preserve carve-outs for retained personal endorsement rights.
• Include approval rights, moral-rights protections and clear termination triggers.
• Address digital and data uses expressly; apply enhanced protections for minors.

Short copy-ready clause examples (illustrative, obtain sign-off before use):

• Grant: “The Licensor grants the Licensee a [non-exclusive/exclusive], non-transferable licence to use the Athlete’s name, image, likeness and voice in the Territory, through the Permitted Channels, for the Term.”
• Exclusivity carve-out: “Nothing in this Agreement restricts the Athlete’s right to undertake personal endorsements outside the Product Category.”
• Approval: “The Licensor shall approve or reject proposed materials within [X] business days; failure to respond shall be deemed approval.”
• Sublicensing: “The Licensee may not sublicense the rights granted without the Licensor’s prior written consent.”
• Data consent: “The Athlete consents to the processing of personal and biometric data solely for the purposes set out in this Agreement.”
• Audit: “The Licensor may audit sales and royalty records once per [period] on reasonable notice.”
• Termination: “Either party may terminate for material breach not remedied within [X] days of written notice.”
• Dispute resolution: “Disputes shall be resolved by arbitration at the Saudi Center for Sports Arbitration under its rules.”

Practical examples and likely dispute scenarios

• Sponsor misuse. A sponsor extends a licensed campaign beyond the agreed product category. First step: issue a cease-and-desist grounded in the grant clause, then pursue SCSA arbitration for breach and damages.
• Unauthorised merchandising. A third party sells counterfeit apparel bearing a player’s registered mark. First step: seek urgent civil injunctive relief and customs measures using the registered rights, alongside damages.
• Influencer or NFT misuse. A digital creator mints NFTs using a player’s likeness without a licence. First step: send a takedown demand, pursue emergency relief where available, and enforce through arbitration or the courts depending on whether a contract binds the infringer.

These scenarios reinforce the central lesson of athlete image rights saudi arabia: enforceability is designed in at the drafting stage, through clear grants, registered IP and a chosen dispute forum.

Conclusion

Athlete image rights saudi arabia in 2026 reward parties who plan deliberately: define the grant precisely, register the intellectual property that gives a likeness commercial force, choose the licensing model that matches your control and revenue goals, and embed a Saudi Center for Sports Arbitration clause so disputes are resolved by specialists. Choose exclusivity when control and premium value justify it; choose non-exclusivity when flexibility and diversification matter more. Reserve the courts for urgent injunctions and counterfeiting, and use the SCSA for the commercial disputes that make up the bulk of image-rights conflict. Handled with this discipline, athlete image rights saudi arabia become a durable, enforceable commercial asset rather than a source of avoidable risk.

For jurisdiction-specific structuring and enforcement, consult Saudi Sports Law compliance guidance and review your contracts against the checklists above.

This article is general information and not legal advice; it addresses Saudi Arabia (KSA) and should not be relied upon for a specific transaction without tailored advice.

Sources

1. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
2. Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP)
3. Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA)
4. FIFA, Legal & Governance
5. United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)