Salisbury take Kuwait links beyond sponsorship with squad visit and youth outreach

Salisbury FC have taken their squad to Kuwait as the sixth-tier English club develops commercial and community links established under owner Ali Alhamad. BBC Sport reported that the National League South side's five-day visit combines football with outreach activities and an effort to widen the club's financial support beyond its home market.

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Alhamad bought Salisbury in 2025, and the relationship with Kuwait already extends to four sponsors. The club's shirt sponsorship is linked to a company behind the country's first Sharia-compliant digital bank, while its training kit promotes an acai business available only in Kuwait. Salisbury's Arabic-language Instagram account has attracted more than 14,000 followers, only a little below the audience for its English-language account, according to the BBC report.

The travelling squad received a welcome from a small group of supporters on arrival. The visit's programme includes school and university activities, opportunities to experience local food and a question-and-answer session explaining the operation of an English football club from the owner's perspective. Alhamad said the trip was intended to broaden the players' experience of other cultures and football environments, alongside the club's work with young people in Kuwait.

Salisbury have also established a summer camp in the country and held a trial session that led to three players training with the first team during pre-season. Those initiatives form part of the relationship alongside sponsorship and the current visit. Alhamad told BBC Sport he wanted the club to build a broader base of support rather than rely solely on spending money in pursuit of promotion.

The trip includes a match against Al Qadsia, one of Kuwait's most successful clubs, at the 22,000-capacity Mohammad Al-Hamad Stadium. All ticket and advertising revenue from the event will go to Salisbury, the BBC reported. The club hopes the visit will help it grow commercially, although the report did not put a value on the expected proceeds.

The squad travelled after Saturday's 2-0 home victory over Folkestone Invicta. Alhamad said every player except Jaiden Bartolo, who is on international duty, agreed to participate within an hour. Player Luke Russe described the visit as an unusual opportunity at this level of football and said experiencing a different culture could help bring the young squad closer together.