Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — 12 January 2026 — Kitman Labs, the global leader in Performance Intelligence, and Xplere, one of the Middle East’s foremost innovators in sports technology and large-scale program execution, today announced a new alliance designed to elevate talent development, performance operations, and athlete care across Saudi Arabia and the broader region.
The relationship brings together Kitman Labs’ global leadership in applied analytics, AI-driven talent systems, and its world-leading iP: Intelligence Platform with Xplere’s deep regional expertise, cultural fluency, and on-ground delivery capability across the GCC. The alliance offers organizations access to advanced performance technology supported by regional context, local insight, and comprehensive implementation experience.
Stephen Smith, Founder & CEO of Kitman Labs, emphasized the importance of offering globally proven innovation through a model built for the Middle East. “Saudi Arabia and the GCC are building some of the world’s most forward-thinking high-performance systems. Through this alliance with Xplere, we are offering federations and clubs a modern intelligence framework that supports long-term development, operational excellence, and more informed decision-making—adapted to the unique needs of each organization.”
Xplere leaders echoed the importance of a regionally grounded approach to performance transformation. “Our role is to ensure that the most advanced performance technologies are delivered in a way that fits the ambitions, culture, and practical needs of Middle Eastern sport,” said Abdu Aljabarti, Head of Sports and Entertainment of Xplere. “This alliance gives organizations access to a complete intelligence capability delivered with strong local understanding and support.”
Introducing the MENA Performance Intelligence Alliance
Created by Kitman Labs and Xplere, the MENA Performance Intelligence Alliance provides a commercial and methodological framework that organizations can adopt to enhance talent identification, athlete development, performance medicine, and long-term competitive strategy. The framework is designed to complement existing federation, governmental, and regulatory structures—offering new levels of insight, interoperability, and operational efficiency without replacing or certifying any formal requirements.
Capabilities available through the alliance include:
- AI-enabled talent pathway insights and predictive modeling
- Integrated athlete evaluation and development frameworks
- Cross-sport and age-stage benchmarking
- Performance medicine and athlete wellness intelligence
- Physical and digital testing ecosystems
- Modern performance operations workflows
- Region-specific data models and contextual analytics
Each component can be configured to the needs, scale, and priorities of individual federations, clubs, and high-performance programs.
A Regional Performance Intelligence Network
As part of the alliance, organizations can access a regional Performance Intelligence Network—a scalable environment designed to support collaboration, benchmarking, and long-term athlete tracking where appropriate. Participation, collaboration scope, and any data sharing are determined entirely by each organization and depend on the commercial arrangement and deployment model they select.
The Network enables organizations that choose to participate to adopt shared methodologies where beneficial, establish continuity across development systems, and build a deeper understanding of talent progression over time—always within the parameters defined by each participating entity.
By offering globally proven intelligence capabilities together with regional delivery strength and local support, Kitman Labs and Xplere are establishing a new benchmark for performance and talent development in the Middle East—empowering organizations that wish to modernize, innovate, and strengthen their competitive position on the world stage.
About Kitman Labs
Kitman Labs is the global leader in Performance Intelligence, used by many of the world’s top leagues, teams, and performance institutions. Its iP: Intelligence Platform unifies talent development, performance optimization, and medical intelligence to support data-driven decision-making across elite sport.
About Xplere
Xplere is a Saudi-based sports, entertainment, and digital innovation company with deep expertise in regional execution, cultural design, and large-scale program delivery. Xplere helps shape the infrastructure and experiences that define the future of sport across the Middle East.
Media Contacts
Kitman Labs
The PHA Group
kitmanlabs@thephagroup.com
Xplere Communications
info@xplere.com
