AFC cancels BeIN’s football broadcasting rights in Saudi Arabia

The decision ends BeIN's "monopoly" over showing Asian Champions League matches. (AFP)
Updated 12 March 2019
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AFC cancels BeIN’s football broadcasting rights in Saudi Arabia

  • Saudi Football Federation says the decision brought to an end BeIN’s monopoly over the AFC’s Champions League matches in Saudi Arabia
  • The decision against the Qatari broadcaster starts with Tuesday’s Asian Champions League match between Saudi side Al-Hilal and Qatar’s Al-Duhail

JEDDAH: The Asian Football Confederation has canceled the exclusive rights of BeIN Sport to broadcast its football matches in Saudi Arabia.

The decision against the Qatari broadcaster starts with Tuesday’s Asian Champions League match between Saudi side Al-Hilal and Qatar’s Al-Duhail, the Saudi Football Federation said.

The statement said the move brought to an end BeIN’s monopoly over the AFC’s Champions League matches in Saudi Arabia.

The federation said it had received a letter from the AFC stating that the Qatari network’s rights to broadcast the matches in Saudi Arabia had been canceled.

The AFC said the decision is based on communications and legal reasoning that included BeIN’s “illegal broadcasting”, and the “systemic violations it committed against the Kingdom’s regulations.”

It also blamed the network’s inability to extract the necessary licenses to fulfill its obligations to broadcast the matches to its subscribers in Saudi Arabia. 

The Saudi federation said it would offer  a broadcast crew of commentators and analysts and will work out the necessary technical arrangements to help cover the matches.  


Saudi Hajj Ministry suspends Umrah firm, overseas agent over contract violations

Updated 29 December 2025
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Saudi Hajj Ministry suspends Umrah firm, overseas agent over contract violations

  • Company failed to provide accommodation for a number of Umrah pilgrims, despite these services being documented in the contractual programs, ministry says

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Sunday announced the suspension of an Umrah company and its overseas agent for failing to provide accommodation services for pilgrims in line with approved contractual programs.

In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the ministry said the company’s failure constitutes a clear violation of regulations governing services for Umrah pilgrims and visitors to the Two Holy Mosques.

It noted that a number of pilgrims arrived in the Kingdom without secured accommodation, despite these services being documented in the contractual programs.

This prompted immediate regulatory action against the company and its overseas agent under the established legal frameworks, the ministry said. 

Pilgrims circumambulate the Holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah in this photo taken earlier this month. (SPA)

"The measures are intended to safeguard the rights of affected pilgrims, prevent a recurrence of such violations, and ensure the continued enhancement of service quality," it added.

Last June, the ministry suspended seven Umrah companies due to deficiencies in providing transport services to pilgrims.

In an earlier report quoting the Hajj Ministry and the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, SPA said more than 1.7 million Muslims from all over the world arrived in the Kingdom to perform Umrah during Jumada Al Akhira alone.

Also referred to as Jumada Al Thani, Jumada Al Akhira is the sixth month of the Islamic calendar. For Hijri year 1447, this sixth month ended on December 20, 2025 in the Gregorian calendar.