Through a tie-up between the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, this year's Saudi Arabian Super Cup soccer mini-tournament will take place in the Emirates.
Through a wider sponsorship deal between the Abu Dhabi tourism department and the Saudi soccer body, 2024 will mark the first time the three-match tournament takes place outside Saudi Arabia.
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The Super Cup will be held at the Al-Nahyan and Mohamed bin Zayed stadiums, with the two semi-finals to take place on April 8, before the final of the competition on April 11.
The teams involved are Al-Ittihad, Al Wehda, Al Hilal, and Al-Nassr.
The bid to stage the mini-tournament was hosted by the Experience Abu Dhabi destination brand, and the Super Cup will coincide with the Eid Al Fitr public holiday.
Saudi professional soccer has embarked on a series of measures to grow its international profile over the last 18 months. Four of the Saudi Pro League's top-tier clubs are now majority-owned by the Public Investment Fund government-backed vehicle, while the league as a whole has been buying high-profile players from European leagues in recent transfer windows.
Taking the 2024 edition of the Super Cup to another country – as many European leagues do, some of them to Saudi – is another sign of the SAFF’s internationalization drive.
It will also be used by soccer authorities in the United Arab Emirates to show they can host high-profile events, as they look to keep up with the progress made in that department by Saudi Arabia (which is also set to stage FIFA's men's World Cup in 2034) and Qatar (which hosted the 2022 edition of the latter tournament).
Players who will be involved in the Saudi Super Cup include both Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, both formerly of Spanish giants Real Madrid.
