Matches have been rescheduled but the league insists it is still safe to continue
The Saudi Pro League is pressing ahead with its domestic schedule despite concerns relating to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Matches have already been affected by travel issues due to the conflict involving the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other. On Thursday, Damac defeated Al Riyadh 3-0, but another fixture scheduled for the same evening had to be pushed back after Al Qadsiah were unable to travel.
Their flight to the city of Qassim was cancelled, forcing the league to reschedule the match against Al Kholood for Saturday night.
Even so, the league intends to continue staging games where possible. This week, it sent a communication to its clubs telling them that matches would proceed as usual while officials monitor the situation daily and follow security guidance from authorities.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr are currently top of the table and this season could see the Portuguese win his first major trophy in the Middle East, although he is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury and will miss the club’s next match.
On Friday, the league will feature the high-profile Jeddah derby between Al Ahli and Al Ittihad. The meeting between the city’s biggest clubs typically attracts a large crowd, and tens of thousands of supporters are expected at the stadium.
Beyond the Saudi Pro League, there has been significant strain on the football calendar. Saudi clubs were unable to play in their Asian Champions League knockout ties earlier this week because of security concerns.
Competitions in some other countries have already been halted. The Qatar Football Association announced that all domestic matches in the country would be suspended indefinitely, while several Asian Football Confederation fixtures scheduled in the UAE and Qatar have been postponed or rearranged.
