Al Ahli Saudi leadership turmoil intensifies as executive committee member steps down

Al Ahli Saudi have been hit by a third high-level resignation in quick succession, with executive committee member Hazem Al Hazmi leaving his post amid growing signs of instability at the Jeddah club.

The departure of Al Hazmi follows closely on from the resignation of club president Khalid Al Ghamdi and the exit of German head coach Matthias Jaissle, who had worked together at Al Ahli for the past three years.

Saudi newspaper Al Jazirah reported Al Hazmi’s resignation from the executive committee, but did not disclose any reasons for his decision to quit his role.

The latest exit has fuelled a sense that Al Ahli are experiencing a period of pronounced uncertainty at senior level, with a series of swift changes at the top of both the administrative and technical structures.

Al Ghamdi had stepped down as president after three years in charge of the club’s administration, a spell during which he oversaw significant success on the pitch. Jaissle, who led the team throughout the same three-year period as head coach, then left his position shortly afterwards.

The pair were at the helm for what has been described as a historic era for Al Ahli, highlighted by back‐to‐back titles in the AFC Champions League Elite over the last two seasons.

During their tenure, Al Ahli also ended a lengthy wait for domestic silverware by winning the Saudi Super Cup, lifting the trophy for the first time in nine years.

No official explanation has yet been provided for any of the recent resignations, and neither the club nor the individuals involved have issued public statements clarifying the circumstances.

However, the quick succession of departures from such influential positions has reinforced perceptions of a lack of stability behind the scenes at Al Ahli in recent weeks.

The club, traditionally one of Saudi Arabia’s leading sides, now faces the task of rebuilding its leadership structure at both board and technical levels while attempting to maintain the standards set during the trophy‐laden spell under Al Ghamdi and Jaissle.

With the executive committee now also affected by Al Hazmi’s exit, Al Ahli’s hierarchy must decide how to respond to the upheaval and plot a path forward following a period that had delivered some of the most notable achievements in the club’s recent history.