The situation in Saudi Arabia has been tense for many weeks, with Iran-backed Houthi rebels intensifying their attacks on the kingdom.
Over the past week, attacks on Saudi Arabia’s airports in Riyadh, Abha, Jazan and Najran caused multiple deaths and major destruction.
As the kingdom faces a major security challenge, the crisis is casting a shadow over live sports. Here we take a look at where things stand in Saudi Arabia.
Football (Saudi Pro League)
The Saudi Pro League continued on Sunday even as Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport endured deadly attacks over the weekend, leaving 13 dead and hundreds injured.
Al Shabab’s match against Al Taawoun in Riyadh went ahead, with Shabab completing a comfortable 3-0 win. Al Fayha and Al Riyadh played out a draw, but the game between Abha and Al Faisaly was postponed until later in the month. The SPL continues this Thursday.
Football (Asian Champions League)
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr hosted Uzbek side Neftchi in their AFC Champions League Elite match in Riyadh on Monday.
There was uncertainty surrounding the match, especially after training for the game at Al Awwal Park was called off.
Kick-off was delayed due to a security alert issued by Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence, but the match went ahead and Nassr eased to a 3-1 win.
Fellow SPL heavyweights Al Ittihad are all set to take on Shabab Al Ahli in Jeddah on Tuesday.
Tennis (Six Kings Slam)
The world's top men’s tennis players are scheduled to compete in the third edition of the Six Kings Slam, to be shown on Netflix from October 21-24.
Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic, Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz are set to compete at the ANB Arena. However, defending champion Jannik Sinner has been replaced by Learner Tien in the line-up. Tickets for the tournament have gone on sale, with no changes announced so far.
Earlier in the year, it was announced that the 2026 WTA Finals had been relocated from Riyadh to Indian Wells, California, after Saudi Arabia relinquished the right to host the tournament.
Boxing (Alvarez v Mbilli)
Boxing great Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is scheduled to take on Christian Mbilli for the WBC super middleweight title in Riyadh on October 31.
There was uncertainty over the bout after several days of deadly strikes on the city. However, organiser Turki Alalshikh said Canelo would fulfil his commitment and compete in the Saudi capital.
“Canelo reached out and told me he’ll still fight in Riyadh this October, no matter what happens,” Alalshikh posted on X. “He fears nothing.”
WWE Crown Jewel
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)'s Crown Jewel event is set to take place on November 7 at Riyadh Season Stadium. It is the 16th event that WWE will hold in Saudi Arabia under a 10-year partnership.
At the event, Roman Reigns will face Sami Zayn, while in the women’s category, Liv Morgan is scheduled to fight Chelsea Green.
Riyadh Racing Season
The 2026/27 racing season in Riyadh is scheduled to start on Friday and end April 17 next year. As things stand, the season is set to last six months and include 69 races.
The total prize pool on offer is 197.8 million Saudi riyals.
