Sportsupdated 2h ago2 min read
Asian Tour Postpones PIF Saudi International After Riyadh Airport Attack
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Asian Tour indefinitely postponed the PIF Saudi International after Riyadh airport attack. Yemen's Houthi group claimed responsibility for the deadly attack.
Golf finale postponed
The Asian Tour postponed its season-ending PIF Saudi International indefinitely after an attack on Riyadh’s international airport, where the tournament was scheduled to take place next month. The Asian Tour said the decision followed an assessment of “organisational and logistical challenges” in hosting the event and delivering it “to a standard befitting its international stature.”
The Asian Tour had scheduled the $5 million flagship event at Riyadh Golf Club from November 18 to 21, and it said it would look to seeing players compete in Riyadh in the future. The Reuters report tied the postponement to attacks on Saudi airports, ports and oil installations, including last weekend’s attack on the capital that killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300.
Security reshapes sport
The Asian Tour’s postponement landed as local organisers said the Asian Cup football tournament in Saudi Arabia was still on track to take place early next year, with the tournament set for January 7 to February 5. Local organisers said the Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis tournament in Riyadh was moved from October to December, and FIFA postponed the FIFAe Finals 2026 video game competition in Jeddah until an unspecified future date.
The Asian Tour’s decision also came as the Saudi International’s disruption fed into a wider sports calendar, with three Saudi Pro League matches postponed and Al-Nassr’s AFC Champions League game delayed by an hour after Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence said it had intercepted a missile fired towards Riyadh. The Reuters report said Yemen’s Houthi movement had been firing ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi airports, ports and oil installations, and it described the Riyadh airport attack as deadly.
What happens next
The Asian Tour said it would not announce a future date or location for the PIF Saudi International, and it said further announcements on the 2026 season and the 2027 schedule were to come. Cho Minn Thant said the tour “look[s] forward to seeing our players compete in Riyadh in the future,” while the Asian Tour commissioner and CEO framed the postponement as a response to the situation.
The DP World Tour spokesperson said it was “our intention to play the two playoff events as scheduled in the UAE next month,” while the spokesperson added that the tour continued to monitor the situation and take advice from international travel advisors. Golfweek reported that the PIF Saudi International had no make-up date as of now, and it said the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship at Yas Links Golf Club in Abu Dhabi was set to begin on November 5, followed by the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai on November 12.