March 29 marks a turning point in the history of table tennis in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Table Tennis Federation unveiled its new “identity,” featuring a modern logo aligned with the country’s Vision 2030. This rebranding, alongside major initiatives to enhance the experience for every table tennis player, is thanks to Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Saud. As Prince Mohammed stated, this new image reflects an era of growth and development.

Over the past few years—as you probably know if you’ve been following my blog—the Table Tennis Federation had been in decline. But thanks to Prince Mohammed, we can now look forward to a brighter future.

Just two days after the rebranding announcement, the Federation revealed the signing of Jörgen Persson, the legendary Swedish table tennis player, as the new coach of the Saudi national team. This move shows that Saudi Arabia is not only committed to investing in the sport, but also aims to become one of the best in the world. Persson is a true icon—he defeated China in the 1990s not once, but twice, leading Sweden to the number one global ranking. He also coached the Swedish team that won a silver medal at the most recent Olympics.

Images of Jörgen Persson working closely with both the youth and senior national teams are consistently being posted on social media, proving his active involvement and hands-on approach. This is a major step forward, as Saudi Arabia now boasts a world-class coach preparing its players for international competitions—including the 2026 World Team Championship in London.

The Saudi national team is ready to fight. Recently, Ali Alkhadrawi defeated Sora Matsushima in the Asian Cup—a clear sign that our athletes are reaching a world-class level. With elite players and a legendary coach, Saudi Arabia is aiming higher than ever before.

At the moment, little additional information has been disclosed about Jörgen Persson's plans or the specifics of the Federation’s new identity. We will release more information as soon as we can. However, one thing is clear: both the sport and the Federation will look very different by next year.

In just a few short months, Prince Mohammed has accomplished what many thought impossible. He is delivering on his promise to restore table tennis to Category A—the highest tier of national funding. Hope is in the air, and the future of Saudi table tennis has never looked brighter.