The Saudi Roshn League has announced the postponement of three matches in the competition, most notably the eagerly awaited Clasico between Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr.
Al-Nassr were due to travel to Al-Ahli on Thursday, with the Alinma Stadium in Jeddah staging the ninth-round fixture.
That plan is off. The Saudi League issued an official statement today, Tuesday, confirming the postponement of the match along with two other fixtures, citing the current circumstances.
The official statement read: "The Saudi Professional League has decided to amend the dates of three matches in the ninth round of the Saudi Roshn League, for logistical considerations, while taking into account the minimum rest periods between matches."
It explained: "Under the amendment, the Al-Riyadh v Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad v Al-Shabab matches will be played on Saturday 19 December 2026, while the Al-Ahli v Al-Nassr match will be played on Saturday 6 March 2027."
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Everything else stays put. "The remaining matches of the ninth round will go ahead on their approved dates without change," it added.
It continued: "In setting the new dates, the league took into account the minimum rest periods between matches, along with the operational and organisational requirements associated with staging the matches."
It concluded: "These amendments come within the approved organisational procedures for managing the competition schedule, taking into account the various considerations related to the logistical arrangements required by the teams in order to stage the matches."
Press reports had already flagged the possibility of the Clasico being shelved, with the Al-Nassr delegation still sitting in the Saudi capital Riyadh at that point.
According to those reports, Al-Nassr were waiting to find out whether the match could be postponed. Without a postponement, the club faced a road trip to Jeddah, air travel having become difficult because of the recent events taking place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The official postponement followed.