The management of Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad clubs have decided to request foreign refereeing teams to officiate the semi-final matches of the King's Cup, scheduled to take place on March 18.

The upcoming stage will witness two anticipated semi-final clashes, with Al-Ahly facing Al-Hilal, while Al-Ittihad will compete against Al-Khulood in the battle for a spot in the final match.

According to what was published by the Saudi newspaper "Al-Riyadiyah," the two clubs have officially requested the arbitration committee of the Saudi Football Federation to bring in referees from outside the Kingdom to officiate the matches.

Al-Ahly and Al-Ittihad's move came due to the importance of the two matches in the current season's trajectory, as each team seeks to enhance its chances of reaching the final and competing for the championship title.

The newspaper clarified that both administrations adhered to the deadline for submitting requests, as official letters were sent 14 days before the matches in accordance with the regulations approved by the Referees Committee.

The clubs also attached receipts for the payment of the required fees for bringing in the foreign refereeing team with their requests.

The cost of bringing in a foreign refereeing crew is approximately 375,000 Saudi Riyals if the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology is used.

The value rises to approximately 450,000 Saudi Riyals when a fourth official is added to the refereeing team assigned to manage the match.