Despite last year's billion-dollar spending and unveilings for superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Neymar, the new-look Saudi Pro League has no international silverware so far.
On Saturday, Al Hilal cantered to their fourth title in five years with three games to spare, even without the services of Neymar, who was their only top-star purchase and who is only just recovering from a knee injury.
None of the Saudi teams reached the Asian Champions League final, hosts Al Ittihad exited in the second round of the Club World Cup in Jeddah, and Roberto Mancini's Saudi national side lost in the Asian Cup's last 16.
Al Hilal were so dominant that they won 34 consecutive games in all competitions—a record for a top-flight team—and remain unbeaten in the Pro League.
Distribution of players
Al Hilal, Ronaldo's Al Nassr, Riyad Mahrez's Al Ahli, and Al Ittihad, Benzema's new employers, occupy four of the top five positions in the league table.
"The lack of a proper distribution of players among all the teams created a clear gap between the big and small teams and killed the competition in favour of Al Hilal," Mohamed Mandour, a Paris-based journalist from the Sportsdata website, told AFP.
Last summer's $957 million spend on players, second only to the English Premier League and unheard of in Saudi football, has undoubtedly drawn extra interest to the competition, even if it is yet to hit the heights.
Teething problems
Suddenly, hiring a raft of star players is not a simple endeavour, and teething problems have included Benzema's difficulties settling at Al Ittihad and Ronaldo being fined for an offensive gesture on the pitch.
Former Liverpool player Jordan Henderson left Al Ettifaq for Ajax after just six months in the Pro League.
In April, a fan in traditional Saudi dress produced a long whip and struck Al Ittihad's Abderrazak Hamdallah after arguing with the striker from the stands.
"Saudi Arabian football must get used to the fact that money and players alone are insufficient to guarantee perpetual success," says Simon Chadwick, a professor of sport and geopolitical economy.
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