Al Nassr absence raises questions after missing Saudi Pro League meeting

Al Nassr’s failure to attend a Saudi Pro League Association general assembly meeting has prompted debate in Saudi football, with the club missing the vote on proposed changes to the competition’s administration.

The assembly met with representatives of the league’s clubs on Tuesday afternoon to discuss amendments that could be introduced in the coming period. However, Al Nassr did not take part in the voting, according to Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

The meeting was the first general assembly gathering held by the Saudi Pro League Association in more than two years. Al Nassr’s board chairman and chief executive were both absent, leaving Saeed Abu Dahesh, the club’s media official, as its only representative.

Abu Dahesh was not authorised to vote under the association’s regulations, meaning Al Nassr had no vote on the decisions considered during the session.

The absence contrasted with the representation sent by several of the country’s leading clubs. Al Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al Ahli all sent their chief executives, while the other Roshn Saudi League clubs also attended, with the exception of Al Kholood, which did not send any representatives.

One of the key decisions approved by the assembly was the adoption of a competency-based criterion for selecting the next president of the Saudi Pro League Association. Members also agreed to remove the existing requirement for candidates to have at least five years of experience.

The general assembly had not met since September 2024, making Tuesday’s session its first in more than two years. The timing of Al Nassr’s non-attendance, and the fact that the club’s available representative could not vote, has led to renewed discussion over its position towards the league’s governing body.