Football is by far the most popular sport in Saudi Arabia. Other sports like horse racing, camel racing, car racing, falconry, basketball, and cricket also have a strong following. However, baseball is virtually unknown. And for good reason—the sport is only just emerging there. Yet, several native players have made their mark in MLB, such as San Diego Padres’ second baseman Craig Stansberry and Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Alex Wilson.
The introduction of baseball in Saudi Arabia is quite recent, dating back only a few years when American and Asian expatriates began organizing informal matches. These games allowed locals to discover and develop a taste for the sport. However, the lack of suitable infrastructure and institutional support long hindered its growth. Over the years, passionate individuals worked to structure baseball in the country. Amateur clubs emerged, and tournaments were organized, primarily in major cities like Riyadh and Jeddah. For instance, a Riyadh-based baseball team will participate in the Winter League, a competition managed by the professional organization Baseball United.
One of the most significant steps in the evolution of baseball in Saudi Arabia was its official recognition by the country’s sports authorities. This recognition led to the creation of a national federation in December 2019 and the organization of official competitions. Additionally, collaborations with international federations (such as the Spanish Federation in March 2025 and the French Federation in April 2025) have facilitated access to quality equipment and training.
Today, baseball in Saudi Arabia continues to grow, driven by a curious and eager youth looking to explore new sports. With the country’s opening to international sporting events and investment in modern infrastructure, baseball could become more popular in the coming years.
One of the key figures in this development is Jean-Michel Mayeur. The former manager of the French U15 baseball team and Montpellier Barracudas, now the Technical Director of the SBSF (Saudi Baseball and Softball Federation), took time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions; we are grateful for his time.
Interview with Jean-Michel Mayeur, Technical Director of the SBSF
BTVF: How were you approached by the Saudi Federation?
While I was still in France, I made a few trips to Dubai, where I stayed in touch with a French community whose children played baseball. The father of one of them, connected to the Saudi Federation through his work, asked if I knew anyone interested in developing baseball in the Kingdom. It was an opportunity that immediately appealed to me.
BTVF: What are your main assigned missions?
To put it simply: develop a plan and implement it. The goal is to build the base, structure the Federation, and establish real national team programs.
BTVF: Are the resources (financially, infrastructure) more significant than in France?
Financially, yes, the resources are generally more substantial. But in terms of infrastructure, it’s the opposite: we’re starting almost from scratch because the activity wasn’t really structured until now. There are numerous fields scattered across the territory, created and organized by expatriate communities (American and Venezuelan) over many years, but access to them is not straightforward for us (the Federation).
BTVF: How do you assess the overall level of baseball in Saudi Arabia compared to European, particularly French, standards?
It’s not comparable. Saudi Arabia is developing a sport that, for now, doesn’t really exist in official federal structure, like many other sports. That said, there are numerous expatriate communities already playing, more or less organized. In France and Europe, we have federations that have existed for decades, with competitions, regulations, clubs, and infrastructure. So, it’s a different world. It will be more interesting to compare trajectories in a few years.
BTVF: What are the main challenges you face in your current role?
Language isn’t a real barrier here. English is widely spoken, often better than in Southern Europe. The real challenge is introducing a completely unknown sport in a country very focused on football. But in recent years, the Kingdom has opened up significantly. There’s a real willingness to develop sports practices; young people leave school early (around 1:00 PM or 2:00 PM), leaving room for sports activities. It’s quite similar to the American model in that regard.
BTVF: What is your long-term vision for developing baseball in the region?
When I arrived, there were no clubs, no licensed players, no championships. In 2019, the Saudi government launched about fifty federations to allow the population to access all major world sports. The SBSF, affiliated with the WBSC, aims to develop three sports: Baseball, Softball, and Baseball5.
I could establish practice at three levels:
- The beginner level. Our most fundamental work. We’re introducing baseball in schools, especially in major cities (Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam). We’re training PE teachers and young coaches to intervene in after-school activities, and we’re helping schools open academies. I repeat, it’s fundamental work, but it’s where everything happens.
- The intermediate level. Baseball has been present since the 1950s thanks to expatriate communities, especially Americans. The historic club is the Dhahran Youth Baseball Association (DYBA), with 500 practitioners from all backgrounds. DYBA is our engine. Today, with our support, Saudi Little League is restructuring and will participate in the U12 regional tournament in South Korea.
- The professional level: Baseball United, a private pro league supported by former MLB players, aims to establish a league in the region. We’re working with them to support this development. They want to include Saudi Arabia for its potential and to be connected to the only national baseball federation in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council).
My mission is to link these three levels. None can exist without the others.
BTVF: What are your next deadlines in terms of competition, and what are your initial goals?
For Little League, the goal is to give our U12s a real competitive experience in South Korea.
In parallel, the Federation is engaging its national teams in several events:
- 2 competitions in Europe for U12
- 2 competitions in Europe for U15
- 3 competitions in Europe for Baseball5
- 1 regional competition (Dubai): the Arab Classic organized by Baseball United
- 2 regional competitions (Dubai, Qatar) for mixed softball – 1 regional competition (Dubai) for women’s softball
BTVF: France suffers from a lack of matches in Europe to create routines and improve results. It’s probably the same for Saudi Arabia. What initiatives can you implement to improve the performance of national teams?
The first thing was to create national teams. Last year, we participated in 4 tournaments: a first for the country (Baseball, Mixed Softball, Baseball5, Youth, Adults). We’re also lucky to have around us very active baseball communities, with former players, coaches, and referees, motivated to support this project. For the young ones, I regularly organize camps in Dhahran, the base of the Saudi Little League. And we engage our youth in international competitions, relying on the network I’ve built with the French Hope Pole and French selections.
BTVF: What are the most rewarding aspects of your work?
First, it’s the total confidence my leaders give me. I’m not in daily contact with everyone, but the main decision-makers (the President and Vice President) are available, attentive, and, above all, they give me real freedom of action in the projects I lead. And that’s rare and precious. Then, there’s the impact of what I can bring. I’m lucky to hold a strategic position in a country where sports are booming. It gives me access to people, projects, and resources I could never have imagined before. It clearly broadens my scope. And then, there’s the recognition. Not from everyone, of course (as everywhere, there are those who think they already know it all), but the vast majority of my encounters are with open, curious, humble people with very different backgrounds. Those exchanges are fascinating. Finally, what I’ve always loved to do… the contact with the players; I also have the chance to manage several collectives at the same time (U12, U15, U18, Adults…), train them, coach them… it gives meaning.
BTVF: A recent partnership has emerged between the FFBS and the SBSF, which has sparked heated criticism on social media regarding the values promoted by Saudi Arabia. What is your perspective on this controversy, living in this country?
I could respond at length, trying to explain that it’s not the current position of the boat that counts, but the direction it’s taking. What I see here is a country that, in recent years, has embarked on a deep turn, against the current of what it has been. There’s still a way to go, of course. But the decisions being made today, and there are many, are often good and sometimes courageous. After that, everyone forms their own opinion: living here, having lived here, or watching a well-edited documentary on social media… This partnership with the FFBS, I proposed it to my President. The French Federation had nothing to gain except the opportunity to exchange, to open up, and to do what sports do best: create connections. And in Baseball5, let’s be honest: the French program is one of the best in the world. Not imagining building bridges between my Federations would have been a mistake. I will also have the pleasure of accompanying the Saudi mixed Baseball5 national team to the French Internationals in Toulouse: young people, boys and girls, playing together, with the agreement of their families, in one of the few truly mixed sports; if it’s not a sign of change, it’s at least a beautiful promise. And for those who still doubt, perhaps it will simply be enough to watch them play!
Sébastien Dondé
Photo credits: SBSF Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sbsf_ksa/
