The Saudi Arabian Football Federation's Referees Committee officially announced the refereeing teams assigned to officiate today's matches, which are part of the twelfth round of the 2025-2026 Saudi Professional League. This round features three exciting matches across the cities of Tabuk, Riyadh, and Buraidah, promising a night of thrilling and competitive football.
Match details and referees
The match kicks off at 6:25 PM in Tabuk, where King Khalid Sports City Stadium will host a highly anticipated clash between Al-Ittihad and Neom. The refereeing committee has appointed Saudi international Khalid Al-Turais to officiate the game, assisted by Mohammed Al-Abkari and Abdulrahim Al-Shammari, with Farih Al-Jaloud serving as the fourth official. Mohammed Al-Harbi will be in charge of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) room, assisted by Ahmed Al-Aqeel.
In Riyadh, all eyes will be on Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium at 8:30 PM for the highly anticipated match between Al-Shabab and Al-Qadisiyah. A Swiss refereeing team, led by Sandro Scherer, has been selected to officiate this top-of-the-table clash, assisted by his compatriots Jonas Arne and Pascal Heisler, with Khaled Al-Damsari serving as the fourth official. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) room will be operated by Lukas Weidrich, assisted by Issa Al-Khaibri.
The evening's football action concludes with a highly anticipated match between Al-Hilal and Al-Kholoud at 8:30 PM at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Buraidah. The match will be officiated by a Lithuanian refereeing team led by Donatas Rumšas, assisted by Alexandru Radius and Dovidas Sodzieljas, with Waleed Al-Mirdasi serving as the fourth official. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) team will be comprised of Donatas Semenas and Orstanas Ibrahimičius.
Refereeing strategy and the development of the Saudi League
These diverse appointments, combining local talent with European (Swiss and Lithuanian) expertise, are part of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation's strategy to elevate refereeing standards in line with the remarkable development of the Roshan League. Since the launch of this ambitious sporting project, the Saudi League has become a destination not only for the world's top players but also for elite referees from Europe and around the globe, ensuring the highest standards of fairness and integrity in competitive matches.
The importance of round 12 in the standings race
The twelfth round holds immense strategic importance for the competing clubs, as this stage represents a crucial turning point before the end of the first half of the competition. Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad aim to solidify their positions at the top of the standings and compete for the title, while clubs like Neom, Al-Kholoud, and Al-Qadisiyah aspire to prove their worth and challenge the established giants to secure higher positions in the league table. This places additional pressure on referees to ensure the matches are conducted smoothly and with minimal errors.
