The local organising committee of the 2027 Asian Cup said preparations for hosting the continental tournament in Saudi Arabia are going ahead as per schedule despite recent attacks in the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia saw a number of events called off or postponed as fighting intensified between the kingdom and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Multiple attacks on airports in the country forced the Six Kings men's tennis tournament, scheduled for October 21-24, and the Fifa Esports final, set for October 16-25, to be postponed.
Three matches in the Saudi Pro League this weekend were rescheduled to later in the season due to “logistical considerations”.
Earlier, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said it was open to the idea of delaying the Asian Cup until 2028 if needed. The continental tournament is scheduled to kick off on January 7 across venues in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar.
However, the tournament's local organising committee said preparations are going ahead according to schedule.
“Preparations across all organisational and operational areas are progressing according to the approved schedule, including work on venues, facilities and supporting services,” the organising committee said, adding that the tournament remains on track to be held from January 7 to February 5, 2027.
“The LOC will continue to monitor developments relevant to the tournament and ensure the appropriate conditions are in place for its successful delivery.”
Earlier this week, AFC president Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said the confederation was in “no hurry” to decide whether the tournament needed to be postponed.
“We can wait until the end of November. Things can change very quickly for better or worse in the region and it is question of seeing what happens,” Al Khalifa told reporters in Zurich during the Fifa Council meeting.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) said it was in communication with the AFC.
“We are closely monitoring the situation in Saudi Arabia and plan to continue discussions regarding overall developments,” the KFA said in a statement.
The previous Asian Cup was delayed by a year after China withdrew as hosts because of Covid-19 restrictions, with Qatar stepping in to stage the tournament in early 2024.
Saudi International postponed
The Asian Tour postponed its season-ending Saudi International in the aftermath of attacks in Riyadh.
"The decision to postpone was taken following an assessment of the organisational and logistical challenges associated with hosting the tournament and ensuring the event is delivered to a standard befitting its international stature," an Asian Tour statement said.
The $5 million flagship event, which is sponsored by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), was scheduled to take place at Riyadh Golf Club from November 18 to 21.
"The PIF Saudi International is one of the most important events on the Asian Tour calendar and we look forward to seeing our players compete in Riyadh in the future," Asian Tour Commissioner Cho Minn Thant said.
