Dr. Yahya Rajih Al-Sharif, an academic and specialist in exercise physiology and sports performance, is preparing to run for the presidency of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Football Federation, through an electoral list that combines academic and specialized expertise, and a number of former football stars, in addition to administrative and legal competencies with experience in sports work. According to sources close to Arriyadiyah, Al-Sharif is putting the final touches on his candidacy file, in preparation for submitting it during the period for receiving candidacy applications starting on July 22 and continuing until August 1, after reaching agreement with a number of candidates nominated to join the list. The list includes a number of sports and academic figures, most notably: Mohammed Abduljawad, Muhaisen Al-Jumaan, Abdul Halim Omar, former players, Adnan Muhanna Al-Muaiqeed, Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Khalid, Professor Yahya Hussein Al-Sharif, professor of commercial law and former head of the Football Dispute Resolution Chamber, Professor Khalid bin Saad Al-Jaloud, Dr. Hanouf Ahmed Al-Juhani, along with a group of academics, specialists, and technical, administrative, and legal experts. The list combines diverse expertise in sports management, strategic planning, governance, sports law, physical performance sciences, sports medicine, education and training, in addition to the field experience of former international players, in an approach aimed at building an integrated team capable of handling various files of Saudi football. According to sources, the electoral program of the list places the development of institutional and organizational work at the forefront of its priorities, along with enhancing governance and transparency, raising the efficiency of technical management, developing the talent discovery and development system, advancing coach education programs, empowering national competencies, and expanding the use of scientific research and data analysis in decision-making. The program also includes a number of files related to developing competitions, national teams, youth football, sports medicine and high performance, financial sustainability, and social responsibility, contributing to achieving a qualitative leap commensurate with the great potential and support and empowerment that the sports sector in Saudi Arabia enjoys. Dr. Yahya Rajih Al-Sharif has over 25 years of professional and academic experience, combining scientific research, academic management, and technical and applied work in football, in addition to his contributions to developing education, training, and sports performance programs at the local and Asian levels. Al-Sharif held a number of positions in the Saudi Football Federation, most notably Director of the Education Department and Vice Chairman of the Technical Committee, through which he contributed to developing coach education programs, preparing technical plans and projects, and participating in qualifying national competencies working in the coaching field. At the continental level, he previously worked as a member of the Coach Education Authority at the Asian Football Confederation, and also worked as an accredited lecturer in fitness programs, and participated in a number of specialized programs, courses, and projects in preparing coaches and lecturers and developing the technical education system in Asian football. Al-Sharif also has field experience in preparing players and developing physical performance, and previously worked in sports training and physical preparation in the football sector, in addition to his participation in a number of scientific and technical committees and projects related to performance measurement, training load planning, talent development, and raising the efficiency of players and referees. At the academic and institutional level, Al-Sharif held the position of Head of the Department of Exercise Physiology at the College of Sports Science and Physical Activity at King Saud University, and previously held the position of Vice Dean for Development and Quality, and also worked in academic accreditation, strategic planning, and institutional performance development. Al-Sharif also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Sports Medicine Federation, where he assumed the duties of Treasurer and Chairman of the Planning and Development Committee, and contributed to a number of initiatives and programs related to sports medicine, injury prevention, performance sciences, and developing professional practices in the sports sector. Al-Sharif holds a Master's and PhD in Exercise Physiology from the University of Kansas in the United States, in addition to a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the University of São Paulo in Brazil, and has a number of peer-reviewed scientific research in the fields of training physiology, sports performance, muscle adaptations, and physical activity and health. Al-Sharif's approach in his electoral file is based on linking field experience with scientific knowledge and institutional work, and forming an administrative and technical system that adopts clear performance indicators, and relies on long-term planning, accountability, transparency, and measuring the results of programs and projects, to enhance the competitiveness of Saudi football and the sustainability of its development. The Election Committee of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Football Federation had announced the adoption of the timeline for the sixth session elections, where the candidacy door opens from July 22 to August 1, while the lists of candidates are examined from August 2 to 7. The Saudi Sports Arbitration Center receives appeals and objections to the lists from August 9 to 13, with rulings to be issued from August 15 to 23, and results announced on August 24. The timeline set August 25 as the final date for candidate withdrawals, before the final lists are announced on August 26, and electoral campaigns launch the following day and continue until August 29, while the elections are held during the extraordinary general assembly meeting on August 30, 2026. The election race saw Badr Al-Raziza, former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Qadsiah Club, announce his candidacy for the presidency of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Football Federation, as posted on his personal account on platform X. According to what Arriyadiyah published on Friday, a number of names are expected to officially announce their candidacy in the coming days, including Muyidh Al-Shahri and Hatem Khimi.