- 15
- July
- 2025
The king leaves his throne. After winning everything with Riyadi, Wael Arakji turns a glorious page to begin a new chapter in Saudi Arabia. The Lebanese icon bids farewell with words that sound like a love letter to a club, a city and a people.
There are transfers, and then there are earthquakes. Sunday, July 13, 2025, will go down in Lebanese basketball history. Wael Arakji officially announced his departure from Riyadi Beirut, the legendary club with which he won everything. In a message as poignant as it was powerful, posted on Instagram, the 30-year-old said goodbye to the team... before flying off to new heights with Al Ula, an ambitious Saudi club with unlimited resources.
“Leaving the team where I grew up is like losing part of my soul,” he declared.
A Heart-Rending Farewell
Trained at Riyadi, Arakji was not only molded as a basketball player at this club: he became a man, a captain, a legend. He lived through the tears, the joys, the titles, the wounds, the songs and the post-defeat silences. “We bled together. We cried together. We won everything together,” he writes in his farewell letter.
But it was above all to the fans that he addressed his most tender words, “You weren't fans. You were my heart. You carried me when I thought I was going to fall. What will I regret most? Those moments after the final siren, our hands raised, singing ‘Riyadi champion’ at the top of our lungs... There's nothing like it.”
A Golden Cedar
At 1.93m, the point guard is much taller for his impact than for his height. MVP of the Basketball Champions League Asia in 2024, and a key member of the national team since 2015, he has been part of every battle. He has crossed the globe, playing in China (Royal Fighters), Tunisia (US Monastir), Qatar, Kuwait, the NBA Summer League with Dallas Mavericks and now Saudi Arabia.
In 2024-2025, he once again shone in the LBL, leading Riyadi to another title against Sagesse in a high-stakes final. One more title in an already well-stocked cupboard. His record is that of a giant. His legacy, that of a myth.
Destination Al Ula
Saudi Arabian club Al Ula, promoted to the Saudi Basketball League, made a major move by signing Arakji. Already active on the market with the extension of Jonathan Gibson and the insistent rumor surrounding Thon Maker, Al Ula is no longer hiding its ambitions: to conquer the WASL, aim for the continental summit and install the kingdom in the big league.
According to several corroborating sources, Arakji's contract is worth over a million dollars per season. An astronomical sum, but richly deserved for the best Lebanese player of his generation, and perhaps of all time.
A Return Not Ruled Out
Riyadi may have left the door open for him to make an express return at the end of the season, particularly in the event of qualifying for the Final 4 or the Asian Championship. Because with Arakji, nothing is ever really finished. “This isn't goodbye. It's a see you later,” he insisted.
A Man on His Feet
Arakji has not forgotten those who shaped his career. In his message, he made a point of thanking his coach Ahmad Farran – “for your confidence, your demands, the way you look at me” – and president Mazen Tabbara – “for your unfailing support” – and all his teammates, whom he calls “his blood brothers.”
Time for the Desert
Now, it's time for the desert, the Saudi spotlight and new challenges. But wherever he goes, Arakji will take a piece of Lebanon with him. “I will carry your voices, your love and our common heritage in my heart,” he promises.
The King Is Gone, but His Kingdom Is Immense
His name, inscribed in golden ink in the history books of Lebanese sports, will continue to inspire.
It remains to be seen whether Riyadi will be able to stay at the top without its conductor. And whether a team like Sagesse will take advantage of this unexpected gap to fight for the throne.
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