Mohamed Al-Khereiji, Almería owner, visits MARCA: “I’d love to help create a Spanish-Saudi Super Cup”

Mohamed Al-Khereiji, president and owner of UD Almería, sat down with MARCA to talk about the Andalusian club’s project and its objectives.

The Saudi businessman purchased Turki Alalshikh’s share package and has served as Almería’s president since September. With extensive experience in media, advertising, and sports investment, leading the largest advertising group in MENA, he brings a forward-looking leadership approach focused on innovation, commercial growth, and long-term value creation. Above all, he emphasized that he is a football fan.

Almería’s president walked into MARCA’s offices in Madrid with a smile, and just seconds after sitting down he noted that he “loves Madrid,” calling it “one of the best cities in Europe.”

Question: What personally attracted you to invest in Almeria?

Answer: Expanding in sport and football is one of our group’s strategic priorities in the coming years, and the solid Spanish football ecosystem attracted us to UD Almería. Almería has significant business potential due to its strategic location and pleasant sunny weather throughout the year. The people are passionate, there are strong community bonds, and the city is very family-oriented.

Q: Where do you see Almeria in five years?

A: The objective is clear: promotion to LaLiga this season and continued growth on both the sporting and commercial fronts. I’ve been clear that we want to win promotion, stay in LaLiga, and grow the club globally. I think the top three (Atlético de Madrid, Barcelona, and Real Madrid) are on another level, and it will be difficult to reach them. Almería is a project that will continue attracting and developing young talent, especially with the opening of the new sports center.

Q: How long do you plan to own Almeria?

A: That wasn’t something I thought about when buying the club. We are long-term investors. We don’t think short term.

Q: If you could sign anyone for Almeria, who would it be?

A: If I’m allowed to dream, I would say Cristiano Ronaldo, no doubt. He is the only figure in the history of football who can make a difference to any project.

Q: Do you expect more games against Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr for Almeria?

A: We already beat Al-Nassr twice in preseason. I think he would like to play again to take revenge on us. Cristiano is a great person both on and off the field. It was great to see him leading Al-Nassr in Almería.

Q: Where would Almeria finish in the Saudi league?

A: We would be a competitive team in the Saudi league, or even in the Portuguese or French first divisions, because I don’t consider us a typical Spanish second-division team. For example, after the last Al-Nassr game, coach Jorge Jesus came to our dressing room and praised the team. He said we had the quality of a LaLiga first-division side (…) I’d love to help create a Spanish-Saudi Super Cup.

Q: Can we expect any new signings for Almeria in the winter window?

A: We have many strong players in all positions, but we are open to exploring options.

Q: How often are you able to be at the stadium in Almeria?

A: I’ve been to seven matches, three this season, but I don’t miss any from home in Riyadh. I watch all of them.

Q: What comes to mind when thinking that next season you could be sitting next to Florentino Pérez or Joan Laporta in the presidents’ box?

A: I’m a football fan. It’s exciting to meet those legends, and I’m sure I will also meet many other interesting people.

Q: Has LaLiga made it difficult for you to invest in Almería? Fenway Sports Group (owners of Liverpool) refuse to invest in Getafe because of the tight control LaLiga has over investments.

A: Liverpool is in another category. I don’t know what their investment plan was, but for us it hasn’t been difficult. I imagine that if someone came with huge capital and tried to sign many expensive players quickly, failed, and harmed the club financially, that could impact the investment. LaLiga is protecting new investors through a more structured path. We want to grow organically, focusing on the academy, signing players who can develop, and supporting that with our commercial knowledge and increased fan engagement for better monetization.