Players from Ittihad and Qadisiyah will be absent from the start of the Saudi national team camp scheduled for May 27 in Khobar, due to their commitment to participate in the King’s Cup final set for the 30th of the same month.

The players will join the camp the day after the final, as they will be ready to face Bahrain on June 5, in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held at the national stadium in Manama.

French coach Hervé Renard has called up six players from Ittihad and Qadisiyah in the previous two rounds, namely Hassan Kadsh, Saad Al-Mousa, Mohannad Al-Shanqeeti, and Ahmed Al-Ghamdi from Ittihad, and Jihad Dhakri and Turki Al-Amar from Qadisiyah.

The "Grand Hyatt" hotel in Khobar has been chosen as the camp's location, which will last for seven days before the delegation heads to Bahrain via the King Fahd Bridge.

The decision to delay the players' joining the camp is an important step to ensure the best preparation for the Saudi national team in facing Bahrain in the World Cup qualifiers.