November 29, 2025 — Saudi Cricket and FairBreak have established a groundbreaking, five-year partnership to launch a new professional women’s cricket tournament known as the Women’s World T20 Challenge. Set to debut in Saudi Arabia in 2026, this event is a landmark achievement, marking the first-ever professional women’s cricket event in the Kingdom. The agreement guarantees at least five seasons of top-level competition.
The tournament aims to showcase global talent, featuring players from over 35 countries. FairBreak, a private company founded in 2013, is known for actively championing gender equality in sport and previously hosted the FairBreak Global Invitational T20 in Dubai in 2022 and in Hong Kong in 2023. This new alliance significantly escalates FairBreak’s mission by staking a presence in a vibrant emerging market.
The creation of the new T20 league is closely aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the national reform program designed to promote social development and women’s empowerment through sport. The league’s core objectives include nurturing women’s cricket talent via structured training programs and pathways, raising public awareness to inspire the next generation of female cricketers, and enhancing international collaboration. This strategic move solidifies Saudi Arabia’s standing on the global cricket map.
Saudi Arabia’s cricket credentials have been steadily rising, as the country hosted the IPL auction in Jeddah in 2024, is preparing to host several matches in future seasons of the ILT20, and is keen on supporting a new Grand Slam-style T20 circuit.
Previous editions of the FairBreak Invitational featured marquee stars, including Marizanne Kapp, Laura Wolvaardt, Chamari Athapaththu, and Sophie Ecclestone. However, the absence of Indian players remains a notable gap, as the BCCI previously refused to issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs); the current details regarding Indian player participation in the new Saudi event are uncertain.
With this announcement, Saudi Arabia steps onto the global stage of women’s cricket with a bold and inclusive tournament that promises to elevate the sport across continents while aligning with social and cultural progress in the region. The Women’s World T20 Challenge is expected to become a key fixture in the international women’s cricket calendar.