The Saudi Arabian Football Federation election committee has excluded candidate Hatem Khimi from the upcoming board election due to unverified practical experience at Al-Khulood Club and a weak evaluation in English language proficiency, according to reports from Aawsat.
The race for the leadership of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation faced a dramatic narrowing after election authorities disqualified prominent contenders. According to reporting by Aawsat, the election committee based its decisions on strict adherence to the federation’s foundational statutes, scrutinizing both professional track records and language competencies among hopeful candidates.
Experience Requirements and Al-Khulood Club Documentation
The committee requested that Hatem Khimi provide official documentation proving his practical experience at Al-Khulood Club during the specified timeframe between 2023 and 2025. This inquiry aimed to verify whether Khimi met the experience criteria outlined in Article 33 of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s statute. Paragraph “2 – d” mandates that a board chairman must possess local or international football experience of no less than two years within the last five years, during which they held leadership roles.
Despite outreach from the election committee to both Al-Khulood Club and Khimi’s campaign for financial records, employment contracts, and salary payroll sheets, the necessary employment proof was not supplied. Aawsat notes that the required documentation to substantiate Khimi’s relationship with the club for the designated period was ultimately left incomplete.
British Evaluators Assess English Language Competency
Beyond the employment dispute, language proficiency proved to be a major hurdle for multiple candidates. Aawsat reports that the English language assessment for Khimi—administered by an independent British company accredited by government entities and private firms for testing—yielded a very modest result that fell short of the committee’s expectations.
Khimi was not alone in failing this specific statutory requirement. Another presidential candidate, Khaled Al-Ghamdi associated with Al-Ahli Club, also failed the personal interview regarding English language skills. According to the reporting, Al-Ghamdi’s score was not good at all, causing him to miss the mandatory fluency threshold required by the federation.
Independent Evaluation Methods and Video Record Preservation
To maintain transparency and accountability throughout the vetting process, the British evaluation firm conducted all candidate interviews independently. Aawsat notes that the entire proceeding of each personal interview was recorded fully via audio and video to preserve the evaluation details and final results.
These recordings, alongside the official correspondence with Al-Khulood Club, payroll data, and reports from the British evaluation agency, remain fully documented. Should any disqualified candidate elevate their appeals to the Saudi Sports Arbitration Center, the election committee has ensured that all evidentiary files are prepared for review.
