Salisbury FC in Kuwait: the ties behind a five-day visit

Salisbury FC have four sponsors from Kuwait and more than 14,000 followers on their official Arabic Instagram account, according to BBC Sport. Those connections provide a commercial and audience backdrop to the club's five-day trip to the country.

The visit comes as part of Salisbury's continued link with Kuwait through owner Ali Alhamad, who purchased the club in 2025, BBC Sport reports. Ownership, sponsors and the Arabic-language account represent different aspects of that relationship.

Alhamad gave his own assessment of the club's profile when speaking to BBC Sport: “Salisbury in Kuwait is bigger than many of the Premier League teams in the UK.” The sponsor count and Instagram audience offer specific examples of the connections behind his description of Salisbury's following.

A fixture with a commercial purpose

On the pitch, BBC Sport's reported itinerary has Salisbury facing Al Qadsia, one of Kuwait's most successful teams, on Wednesday during the five-day visit. The schedule then calls for a return on Thursday before Saturday's FA Cup third qualifying round tie against Dulwich Hamlet, placing the overseas fixture close to their cup commitment.

The financial element is specific: BBC Sport reports that all ticket sales and advertising money from the Al Qadsia match will go to Salisbury. From a business perspective, that arrangement gives the club a way to earn match-related income alongside its existing sponsorship connections. It is the direct commercial opportunity at the heart of the fixture.

The trial and the players' perspective

The relationship also includes participation in football. BBC Sport reports that Salisbury ran a trial session where the top three players trained with the first team during pre-season. That example gives the community side of the relationship a concrete form: those three participants had an opportunity to work alongside Salisbury's players through the trial and subsequent training.

For the players making the visit, Luke Russe expressed appreciation for the opportunity in his comments to BBC Sport. “It's a unique opportunity and as players, we are so thankful to everybody involved in making this trip happen,” he said. His emphasis was on the experience of taking part and gratitude towards those who had made the visit possible.