RIYADH (The Thursday Times) — The Saudi Pro League has postponed all of this weekend’s matches, hours after the Asian Cup was pushed back by almost a year because of the attacks on the kingdom.
The league said the decision was part of a wider review of the 2026-27 fixture list, with the new Asian Cup dates “creating additional flexibility in the domestic football calendar”. It gave no new dates for the games.
All of Matchday 13 is affected. Al-Qadsiah were due to host Al-Fayha on Thursday and Al-Nassr to visit Al-Hazem, with Al-Ittihad at home to NEOM on Friday. Al-Hilal were to play Al-Ettifaq in Dammam on Saturday, and Al-Ahli to host Al-Taawoun in Jeddah.
The league had already moved several matches in October after attacks on the country, including a missile strike on Riyadh’s airport. It has mostly managed to carry on as usual until now.
The Asian Cup, which was to begin on January 7, will now run from December 23, 2027, to January 21, 2028. The new dates must still be approved by Fifa, and will ease a crowded calendar that coaches have complained about. “It is difficult for the same player to play every three days,” Al-Ittihad coach Jens Wissing said earlier.
Other sport in the Gulf is also under pressure. The Qatar Grand Prix, set for November 27 to 29, and the Abu Dhabi race that follows it are in doubt, after Formula 1 lost its Bahrain and Saudi races in April.
