Appeals loom after one slate remains in Saudi FA presidential contest

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation presidential election is entering a more contentious phase after Badr Al-Ruzaiza’s slate became the only one approved to contest the 2026-2030 term.

Two excluded groups are considering challenging the decision, with further rejected slates also expected to join the move. According to sources cited by Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiyah, the slate led by Khaled Al-Ghamdi and another group are studying whether to submit formal appeals against the approval of Al-Ruzaiza’s list.

The sources said the potential challenges would be based on concerns that the candidates had not been assessed according to the same standards applied to the approved slate.

The election committee announced on Saturday that the other five slates had been excluded after reviewing the candidates’ files. The rejected lists were those led by Khaled Al-Ghamdi, Fahad Al-Ghofaili, Hatem Khaimi, Ahmed Al-Wadaei and Shaker Al-Osaimi.

The committee’s reasons included matters related to sporting experience, eligibility requirements and the conditions governing representation of the general assembly.

Fahad Al-Ghofaili is not planning to appeal, according to the same source. His experience of about five years with one of the Roshn Saudi League clubs was not counted because it had not been officially documented with the relevant authorities.

Al-Ghofaili has nevertheless said he respects the committee’s decision.

The nomination period ran from 22 July to 1 August, during which seven slates were submitted before Turki Al-Dhubaan withdrew from the contest. The election committee then examined the candidates’ files between 2 and 7 August, in line with the election regulations.

With the Al-Ruzaiza slate now the only approved list, the dispute is centred on whether the excluded candidates can overturn the committee’s decisions before the election process moves forward. Any further appeals would add a new layer of uncertainty to the vote, which is intended to determine the leadership of Saudi Arabia’s football governing body for the 2026-2030 cycle.

The potential legal and administrative challenge follows the committee’s review of all submitted files rather than a direct contest between multiple approved slates. The outcome of any objections could therefore determine whether the election remains a single-list process or returns to a wider presidential race.

For now, however, Al-Ruzaiza remains the only candidate heading an approved slate, while the excluded groups weigh their next steps.