Asian Cup preparations proceed for January, however Asian Tour delays golf’s Saudi Invitational after Houthi assaults.
Revealed On 16 Oct 2026
The Asian Cup soccer event is on monitor to happen in Saudi Arabia early subsequent yr, native organisers say, however golf’s Asian Tour has postponed the Saudi Worldwide indefinitely within the aftermath of a sequence of assaults on Riyadh.
Yemen’s Houthi group claimed duty for the deadliest assault, which passed off on Saturday on Riyadh’s worldwide airport. It killed 14 folks and wounded greater than 300.
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Australia additionally withdrew its group from the city biking World Championships on Friday, citing security issues over travelling to Riyadh, the place the occasion is scheduled to happen in early November.
The Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis event in Riyadh has already been moved from October to December whereas FIFA on Thursday postponed the FIFAe Finals 2026 online game competitors in Jeddah till an unspecified future date.
In that setting, severe questions had been being requested about whether or not the 24-team Asian Cup might nonetheless go forward in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5.
Three Saudi Professional League matches, together with one that includes Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, had been postponed this week whereas Al-Nassr’s Asian Soccer Confederation (AFC) Champions League sport on Monday was delayed by an hour after Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence mentioned it had intercepted a missile fired in direction of Riyadh.
AFC chief Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa mentioned earlier this week {that a} postponement of the continental championships till 2028 was attainable if obligatory, however the native organising committee (LOC) mentioned on Friday that it was sticking to the unique schedule.
“Preparations throughout all organisational and operational areas are progressing in accordance with the accredited schedule, together with work on venues, services and supporting companies,” it mentioned in a press release.
The LOC “will proceed to observe developments related to the event and make sure the acceptable situations are in place for its profitable supply”.
Assaults in Saudi Arabia disrupt sport calendar
The $5m Saudi Worldwide, which is sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund (PIF), is the flagship occasion on the Asian Tour and had been scheduled to happen at Riyadh Golf Membership on November 18-21.
“The choice to postpone was taken following an evaluation of the organisational and logistical challenges related to internet hosting the event and guaranteeing the occasion is delivered to an ordinary befitting its worldwide stature,” an Asian Tour assertion mentioned.
AusCycling mentioned its determination to withdraw the Australian group from the city World Championships was made “with the security and wellbeing of our athletes and employees our highest precedence”.
The Australian authorities is advising travellers to “rethink” journeys to Saudi Arabia normally and Riyadh’s King Khalid Worldwide Airport particularly “attributable to latest safety incidents”.
The Saudi authorities has invested closely in sport via the PIF in recent times, and the Asian Cup was pitched as an early rehearsal for internet hosting soccer’s FIFA World Cup in 2034.
