Riyadh attacks disrupt events

SAFETY CONCERNS: The Asian Cup is still expected to take place in Saudi Arabia next year, despite multiple sporting events being postponed after the Houthi attack in Riyadh

The Asian Cup soccer tournament is on track to take place in Saudi Arabia early next year, local organizers said yesterday, but golf’s Asian Tour has postponed the Saudi International indefinitely in the aftermath of a deadly attack on Riyadh.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed responsibility for the strike on Riyadh’s international airport, which killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300.

Australia also withdrew its team from the urban cycling World Championships yesterday, citing safety concerns over travelling to Riyadh, where the event is scheduled to take place early next month.

Buildings line King Fahd Road in the Olaya district of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday.

Photo: AP

The Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis tournament in Riyadh has already been moved from this month to December, while FIFA on Thursday postponed the FIFAe Finals video game competition in the Saudi capital until an unspecified future date.

In that environment, serious questions were being asked over whether the 24-team Asian Cup could still go ahead in Saudi Arabia from Jan. 7 to Feb. 5 next year.

Asian soccer chief Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said earlier this week that a postponement of the continental championships until 2028 was possible if necessary, but the local organizing committee said yesterday they were sticking to the original schedule.

“Preparations across all organizational and operational areas are progressing according to the approved schedule, including work on venues, facilities and supporting services,” it said in a statement.

The US$5 million Saudi International, which is sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), is the flagship event on the Asian Tour and had been scheduled to take place at Riyadh Golf Club from Nov. 18 to 21.

“The decision to postpone was taken following an assessment of the organizational 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.

AusCycling said its decision to withdraw the Australian team from the urban World Championships was made “with the safety and wellbeing of our athletes and staff our highest priority.”

The Australian government is advising travelers to “reconsider” trips to Saudi Arabia in general and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport in particular “due to recent security incidents.”

The Saudi government has invested heavily in sport through the PIF in the past few years and the Asian Cup was pitched as an early rehearsal for hosting the soccer World Cup in 2034.

According to a report on US news Web site Semafor earlier this week, PIF is preparing to tell FIFA that it would be scaling back stadium plans for the 2034 tournament as part of a broader review of domestic spending.