Saudi giants Al Ahli left without president as Khaled Al-Ghamdi steps down officially

Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli are without a club president after the formal acceptance of Khaled Al-Ghamdi’s resignation by the board of the company that runs the club.

Al-Ghamdi had previously announced his intention to leave the role after three years as president, and his departure has now been ratified in an official statement published on Al Ahli’s website.

In the statement, the club company confirmed it had approved the resignation of chairman Khaled Al-Ghamdi, thanked him for his service and wished him success in the next stage of his career.

Al Ahli described the achievements during his tenure as a continuation of “integrated institutional work”, and praised the efforts Al-Ghamdi made throughout his presidency, highlighting his role in securing “many gains that will remain part of the club’s journey”.

Trophies under Al-Ghamdi

Al-Ghamdi leaves Al Ahli after a spell in charge that began in 2023 and lasted three years, during which the club captured a series of major honours.

The most notable achievements cited by the club were back-to-back titles in the AFC Champions League Elite over two consecutive seasons and victory in the Saudi Super Cup, which Al Ahli won after a nine-year absence from the trophy.

The announcement means Al Ahli now have no sitting president, underlining a period of uncertainty at one of Saudi Arabia’s best-supported clubs.

No immediate successor identified

Al Ahli have not named a replacement for Al-Ghamdi, and the club’s statement offered no indication of when or whether a new president will be appointed.

Local reports suggest there is currently no intention to select a new club president, amid plans by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) to put Al Ahli, Al Nassr and Al Ittihad up for sale, following a similar approach taken with Al Hilal.

The potential sale process is understood to be shaping long-term governance decisions at the PIF-backed clubs, and the absence of a new president at Al Ahli is being viewed in that context.

Al-Ghamdi to run for Saudi FA presidency

While his time at Al Ahli has come to an end, Al-Ghamdi is expected to remain a prominent figure in Saudi football.

He will stand as a candidate for the presidency of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, where he would succeed Yasser Al-Misehal, who resigned after seven years in charge.

Al-Misehal’s departure came in the wake of the Saudi national team’s exit from the 2026 World Cup in the group stage, a result that triggered widespread scrutiny of the direction of the national game.

If elected, Al-Ghamdi would move from club administration at Al Ahli to overseeing the Saudi Arabian Football Federation at a time of intense focus on both domestic football development and the national team’s performance on the global stage.