The Saudis went for Messi as he was leaving PSG, though the Barcelona great ultimately signed with Inter Miami.
Al-Haili revealed: "We made him an offer of €1.4bn. But he refused because his family wanted to go to the United States. I was surprised, I didn't believe a player could refuse such a big offer for the sake of his family.
"We respect him, because family is more important than money."
Last December, Messi himself spoke about the possibility of joining the Saudi Pro League.
"I had several options on the table. I had to analyze them and think about them with my family, before making the decision to come to Miami. My first option was to return to Barcelona, but it wasn't possible. I tried to return, but it didn't happen. It's true that after that I thought a lot about going to the Saudi league: they have created a very strong competition, which could become an important championship in the near future.
"As an ambassador for Saudi Arabian tourism, it was a destination that attracted me, because it is a country that I have visited and that I like but also for the growth of the championship and the efforts made to create a high-level competition."