Record crowd watches Al Hilal edge Al Qadsiah in eastern Saudi Arabia

Al Hilal’s 3-2 victory over Al Qadsiah in the Roshn Saudi League was watched by a record crowd at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam.

A total of 20,207 supporters attended Friday evening’s match, the highest figure recorded at the stadium and the maximum number permitted in its stands.

The attendance represented 91% of the ground’s actual capacity, once the security buffer zones between sections of supporters had been taken into account, according to Saudi newspaper Al Riyadiyah.

The figure made the fixture the best-attended match ever held in the Eastern Province. It surpassed the previous record set by Al Ittihad’s meeting with Al Ettifaq in June 2022, which attracted 20,115 fans.

The match brought together the two leading teams in the Roshn Saudi League this season, with Al Hilal eventually claiming a narrow victory.

The result moved Al Hilal to the top of the table on 27 points, two points clear of Al Qadsiah. Al Qadsiah dropped to third place, behind Al Nassr on goal difference.

The attendance record added to an occasion that had already been decided by a closely contested match on the pitch, with Al Hilal securing all three points against their title rivals.