Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – : In collaboration with Sportradar Integrity Services (the leading supplier of sports integrity solutions and sports data products), the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) announced the launch of the SAFF Integrity mobile app which allows players, officials, and members of the public to report suspected match-fixing, match-manipulation or other integrity concerns directly to SAFF in a safe and secure manner. The SAFF Integrity mobile app, available in both Arabic and English, is free of charge and can be downloaded from the following links:
- Google Play: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ag.sportradar.mobile.android.saff.offical
- App Store: apps.apple.com/gb/app/saff-integrity/id1600642003
The launch of the SAFF Integrity mobile app comes just in time for the start of the 2022-2023 season and will further support the work of the SAFF Integrity Unit, composed of experienced lawyers from the SAFF Legal and Governance Department. The SAFF Integrity Unit will be responsible for handling reports received through the SAFF Integrity mobile app, investigating any credible reports, and initiating any necessary disciplinary procedures under the SAFF Disciplinary and Ethics Regulations.
The SAFF Integrity mobile app (which is closely modelled on the FIFA Integrity and AFC Integrity mobile apps) is one of a range of tools acquired by SAFF to combat match-fixing under a partnership agreement signed by SAFF and Sportradar Integrity Services and will further strengthen SAFF’s efforts in promoting and safeguarding the integrity of football in the Kingdom. As part of the agreement, several football competitions organised by SAFF will be monitored by Sportradar’s Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS): a technically advanced bet monitoring system that has been independently assessed and verified by recognized experts in the field of sports betting and integrity. Sportradar Integrity Services will also provide SAFF with an Integrity Risk Assessment to identify any potential integrity risks.
In addition, teams, players, match officials and other key SAFF staff and stakeholders will also be educated on the importance of integrity via a series of informative webinars delivered in both English and Arabic. Players and officials from teams participating in the 2021/2022 Saudi Pro League were the first group to have attended the webinars, followed by SAFF staff members.
Ibrahim Alkassim, General Secretary at the SAFF, commented following the announcement: “Safeguarding the integrity of Saudi Arabian football is one of the biggest priorities at SAFF, and in looking to achieve this, we are delighted to be working with Sportradar Integrity Services who are the clear leaders in the particular field of sports integrity. Monitoring services provided by their team of experts through the UFDS will strengthen our existing integrity measures, whilst the Education & Prevention webinars will ensure that all stakeholders are adequately and appropriately educated in how best to tackle integrity challenges.”
Sportradar Integrity Services Managing Director Andreas Krannich added: “It is an honour to partner with SAFF and as the global leader in sporting integrity, we are confident that our experience and expertise can help protect SAFF against integrity related issues. We look forward to working alongside them throughout the next few years and providing our support to their overall integrity programme.”