"With the busy international calendar, a host of established franchise leagues around the world, and existing concerns about player workloads, there is no scope or demand for such an idea," Gould told the same newspaper.

Saudi Arabia hope that the influx of foreign stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar into their club football will help the national team win their first Asian Cup in 28 years.

Saudi-Bangladesh joint-venture company to set up the plant

Two local garment exporters, a private Saudi Arabian company and state-run Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) are planning to jointly set up a solar power plant with a generation capacity of 300 megawatts (MW). 

The Saudis, who beat eventual champions Argentina at last year's World Cup in Qatar, have been without a coach since Herve Renard left to take charge of France's women's team.

Steven Gerrard said a "family feeling" at Saudi Arabian Pro league club Al-Ettifaq was one of the things that persuaded him to accept a coaching job with the side.

Lionel Messi is set to leave PSG in the summer and has been linked with former club Barcelona, along with MLS side Inter Miami.

After decades in the doldrums, Newcastle's progress to their first League Cup final in 47 years underlined the Saudi-funded club's emergence as a serious threat to the English football establishment.

Saudi Arabia is the sole remaining bidder to host the 2027 Asian Cup after India's federation withdrew its bid, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Monday.

Coach Herve Renard said Saudi Arabia's shock win over Argentina at the World Cup will count for little if they fail to get out of the group stage in Qatar.

The biggest of World Cup shocks paid out for at least one prescient punter who correctly predicted Saudi Arabia would stun Lionel Messi's Argentina 2-1 in their opening match in Qatar on Tuesday.

President Joe Biden told Arab leaders on Saturday that the United States would remain an active partner in the Middle East, but he failed to secure commitments to a regional security axis that would include Israel or an immediate oil output rise.

Saudi officials are seizing rainbow-coloured toys and articles of clothing from shops in the capital as part of a crackdown on homosexuality, state media reported.

US President Donald Trump approves sending American troops to bolster Saudi Arabia’s air and missile defenses after the largest-ever attack on the kingdom’s oil facilities, which Washington has squarely blamed on Iran.