ESM Operations Ltd has secured a contract with the Saudi Pro League (SPL), marking a significant step in enhancing public safety and operational standards across the fast-growing soccer league, as the Kingdom continues its rapid evolution as a major destination for international sport.
The company has successfully completed Phase One of the project, delivering comprehensive stadium reviews across the league. This initial stage involved detailed assessments of 16 Saudi Pro League stadiums, with the remaining two excluded due to ongoing construction and capacity considerations.
The work focused on public safety and crowd management, with evaluations covering key operational areas including arrival, last mile, ingress and egress, stadium operations, internal circulation, pitch protection, and egress and dispersal.
A consistent scoring methodology was applied across all venues to ensure fairness and transparency. A detailed report was completed for each stadium, assessing performance across 11 categories and multiple subcategories, benchmarked against international best practice and ESM’s extensive operational expertise. Results were presented using a clear, traffic-light-style framework, categorising performance as poor, medium, good, or very good.
“This first phase has provided a clear and structured understanding of current operations across the league,” said David Dymitrow, head of public safety and crowd management at ESM Operations. “As the Saudi Pro League continues to develop and evolve its matchday environment, there is an increasing focus on delivering safe, secure, and professionally managed event operations.”
Building on these insights, the next steps will focus on supporting the development of a more standardised public safety and crowd management platform across all Saudi Pro League clubs. This will involve establishing consistent operational principles, strengthening collaboration with clubs and stakeholders, and aligning practices with recognised international standards and guidance to support safer and more effective event operations across the league.
