WWE, Riyadh Season to host Night of Champions in June
RIYADH: World Wrestling Entertainment, in collaboration with Riyadh Season, will host the Night of Champions event at the Kingdom Arena, part of the Kingdom's ongoing commitment to creating international entertainment, the Saudi Press Agency has reported.
The SmackDown show will take place on Friday, June 27.
The event will be exclusively live on Peacock in the US but will also be available on Netflix and other outlets for people in Saudi Arabia.
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Arab News
9 hours ago
- Arab News
Drama therapy workshop in Jeddah explores healing power of expression
JEDDAH: A drama therapy workshop was recently organized under the theme: 'In drama we find the power to express, and in expression we find the power to heal,' at Cinema Al-Balad in Jeddah. Led by Lujain Faqerah, senior psychologist and creative arts supervisor, in collaboration with actor and screenwriter Abdul Al-Shareef, the workshop explored the use of drama therapy in daily life and creative work. Participants, including therapists, creatives, and others, learned how drama can support emotional awareness, healing, and connection. The workshop showed how drama-based therapeutic techniques can help people access unconscious behaviors, foster self-expression, and improve creative practices such as screenwriting and acting. Faqerah told Arab News: 'Drama is integrated naturally in our daily responses and situations. In a therapeutic setting, it helps us observe these interactions and reflect on a deeper level of our unconscious body gestures and movements that might reveal a lot about our personalities.' She made it clear that drama therapy is not about performing but about expressing what lies beneath — emotions, memories, or internal conflicts. Faqerah said: 'The word drama has a negative connotation to the extent that people reject it before trying. Drama therapy does not depend on acting skills or previous experience, but more on your self-expression and the challenges you experience.' Her discovery of drama therapy was transformative. 'It surprised me with the appearance of a hidden part of me that is more bold and confident. When this part emerged and I saw the benefits myself, I started incorporating it in my profession.' Al-Shareef brought a creative perspective as an actor and screenwriter new to drama therapy but interested in its techniques. 'As an actor and a writer, I found this experiment with drama supervision and therapy fascinating. It's a tool that I am willing to explore and learn more about to enhance my life and practice,' he said. 'Some people may think drama therapy is exclusively for artists, but it's not. The techniques can be integrated into everyday routines, varying from person to person depending on their challenges.'
Al Arabiya
12 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Exclusive Bahrain coach Dragan Talajic eyes Saudi Arabia upset and dreams of World Cup
When Bahrain faces Saudi Arabia in a crunch 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Thursday, it is aiming to do more than just end its neighbors hopes of an automatic spot at the tournament. Bahrain has twice suffered heartache at the final hurdle in its bid to play in a maiden FIFA World Cup – losing intercontinental play-offs to Trinidad and Tobago in 2006 and New Zealand in 2010; now, current coach Dragan Talajic is determined to make history for the Gulf nation. On paper, Thursday's clash with Bahrain should be straightforward for Herve Renard's side. Saudi Arabia is a three-time Asian champion with a domestic league that is now watched all over the world – containing some of the planet's finest players. In this season's AFC Champions League Elite, the Kingdom provided both the winner in Al Ahli and the competition's top scorer in Salem al-Dawsari. 'Al-Dawsari is unbelievably talented,' Bahrain coach Talajic told Al Arabiya English in an exclusive interview. 'He is a strong player, a beautiful attacking player who has been in great form in the Saudi Pro League. 'But we cannot concentrate only on Salem al-Dawsari. Saudi Arabia has very good players, a very good coach and of course a lot of respect from me. But we know what we will try to do to stop al-Dawsari; we have to play like a team to try to control space. Football is a game of 11 against 11.' Despite the apparent disparity between the two nations on the pitch, Bahrain has only lost one of its past six matches against the Green Falcons – a record that stretches back to 2014. Talajic's team held Saudi Arabia to a 0-0 draw in Jeddah last October and then went a step further in December by claiming a 3-2 victory in the group stage of the Arabian Gulf Cup – a tournament that Bahrain went on to win. The 0-0 World Cup qualifying draw was a particularly special moment for Talajic as it represented a return to Jeddah, a city in which he is fondly remembered. In 2004, the Croatian coach led Al Ittihad to its first ever AFC Champions League title as Talajic and his players overturned a 3-1 first leg defeat to Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma – winning 5-0 in South Korea to lift the trophy in spectacular style. 'These are unbelievable memories,' Talajic said of the 2004 final. 'This was a long time ago but really was the start of my journey winning trophies in my career. I am so proud of what we achieved at Al Ittihad. 'Back then I was young and just at the start of my coaching career but we managed to have this incredible result – the 5-0 win, which is still a record [AFC Champions League final score]. I still have a close relationship with Al Ittihad and I am happy to see the team performing well again this year with Benzema.' The AFC Champions League was Talajic's first piece of silverware, but certainly not his last. The 59-year-old has spent much of the past two decades in the Gulf, winning trophies at Al Wahdat in Jordan, and Al Kuwait and Al Khalidya in Bahrain. Most recently, he led the Bahrain national team to only its second Arabian Gulf Cup triumph. 'We went there as underdog because I think this was maybe the strongest ever Gulf Cup; seven of the eight countries are playing in the last round of qualification for the World Cup and all of them had full teams. 'I don't think anybody else thought we would win but I certainly believed we could do it and I'm really proud about what my boys did in this tournament.' On its way to victory, Bahrain beat Saudi Arabia 3-2 in the group stage – a result that fills Talajic with confidence ahead of this week's World Cup qualifying encounter. 'I think we took Saudi Arabia by surprise then and we will also prepare for this next game in a good way,' Talajic explained. 'The confidence is increasing a lot among the players – not just because of the Gulf Cup but this World Cup qualification too. 'You can see that they are trusting themselves more because we are performing well against these big teams like Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia. A big credit goes to my staff too – I want to thank them because every success we have now is down to them. Of course I make the final decisions but without the whole team, we will do nothing.' Bahrain is currently fifth in Group C, three points behind fourth-placed Indonesia. The teams that finish third and fourth will progress to the Fourth Round of qualifying and while Talajic knows it will not be easy, he insists his players are capable of moving a step closer to a first FIFA World Cup. 'We are in a more difficult situation but our future is in our hands,' Talajic said. 'If we win these next two games against Saudi Arabia and China, we have qualified for the next round. We have our dream and we are in this together. 'We will do our job, do our best and I believe in my boys. I also believe in all the support of Bahraini people and I think we have a beautiful chance to reach the World Cup with Bahrain.'
Al Arabiya
15 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
How can Saudi Arabia qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
With the final day of the 2024-25 Saudi Pro League and King's Cup final bringing down the curtain on the Kingdom's domestic football last week, attention now turns to international football and Saudi Arabia's hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Green Falcons have endured a tumultuous qualification campaign for the tournament so far but despite many ups and downs, are still in with a good chance of making it to the World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer. Saudi Arabia began World Cup qualifying with Roberto Mancini as coach but parted company with the Italian last October. Since then, Herve Renard – mastermind of the team's iconic 2022 victory over Argentina in Qatar – has returned to the hotseat, aiming to take Saudi Arabia back to the FIFA World Cup. Heading into the final two games of the Third Round of qualifying, three potential pathways still exist for the Green Falcons to make it to the finals. Here, Al Arabiya English explores how Saudi Arabia can qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 1) Finish second in Group C Only two teams in Asia have already guaranteed their spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup – Iran and runaway Group C winner Japan. But second place in Group C, and the automatic place in the USA, Canada and Mexico that it brings, is still very much up for grabs. There are three teams currently in the hunt and it will be one of Australia, Saudi Arabia or Indonesia that joins Japan at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. For more Saudi sports news, visit our dedicated page. Australia is in pole position heading into the final two group games, currently sitting on 13 points – three ahead of Saudi Arabia, with Indonesia a further point back. In the previous two qualifiers back in March, the Green Falcons claimed a vital 1-0 home win against China before securing a creditable 0-0 draw away to Japan in Saitama. The math is now simple for Saudi Arabia: win its next two games, and the Green Falcons can qualify in second place. The first of those matches is on Thursday against neighbor Bahrain, which has punched above its weight so far in qualifying in its pursuit of a first ever World Cup appearance. Bahrain held Saudi Arabia to a 0-0 draw in the reverse fixture in Jeddah last October and more recently beat the Green Falcons 3-2 last December on its way to winning the 2024 Arabian Gulf Cup. While Saudi Arabia visits Bahrain, Australia will host already qualified Japan. Despite having already booked its spot at the World Cup, the Blue Samurai put a strong team out against Saudi Arabia back in March; Renard and his players will be hoping Japan do the same against the Socceroos – as a draw or loss for Australia will open the door. Should that happen, it is then set up for a blockbuster finish on June 10, when Saudi Arabia hosts Australia at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. While other combinations of results could see Saudi Arabia progress, its best chance is to beat Bahrain, and then also beat the Socceroos on home soil. If Australia is able to beat Japan, this scenario would mean both sides finish on 16 points – but the Socceroos would advance courtesy of a substantially better goal difference. Should there be a double slip up, Indonesia could be waiting in the wings. This is not the first time that qualification is going down to the wire for Saudi Arabia; it beat Australia 1-0 in the final qualification game for the 2022 FIFA World Cup to top its group, while the Green Falcons beat Japan in the last 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier to pip Australia to an automatic spot at the finals in Russia. 2) Finish top of Fourth Round group Should Saudi Arabia miss out on second place to Australia or Indonesia, it is unlikely to be the end of the road. If Renard's side is able to secure one win, or two draws, from its final two matches – it will be guaranteed to advance to another qualification round. This is because the 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first 48-team edition of the tournament, meaning there are more spots on offer than usual for Asian Football Confederation (AFC) teams. The teams finishing third and fourth in each of the three groups in the current round of qualification – which could also include the likes of Iraq, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Qatar and UAE – will have another opportunity to reach the World Cup via the Fourth Round. The six teams that make it through from the Third Round will be split into two groups of three, offering those nations another shot at making it to the finals. Should Saudi Arabia reach this stage, it will face a pair of one-off matches against the two other teams in its group, in a round robin format taking place between October 8-14. Those games will be played at an as-yet unannounced centralized location. It remains to be seen whether the qualifiers will need to be hosted at a neutral venue; Saudi Arabia and Qatar have regularly been chosen by the AFC as destinations for such one-off events previously but Asian football's governing body has yet to announce anything. If the Green Falcons could play those matches in the Kingdom, it would be hugely advantageous. For the two group winners of the Fourth Round of qualification, there will be automatic passage to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This is the first time that this style of final qualifying round has been used and means that both matches in October will be played with significant jeopardy. 3) Win the inter-confederation play-off The two nations finishing bottom of their Fourth Round group in October will be eliminated but for the second-placed teams there will be another bite of the World Cup cherry. The pair of runners-up will face each other in a two-legged tie, with first leg on November 13 and second leg November 18. This Fifth Round contest is not actually for a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, however, but for a spot in the FIFA inter-confederation play-off tournament next March. Up until the 2022 FIFA World Cup, inter-confederation play-offs were two-legged ties – pitting nations from the AFC, OFC (Oceania), CONCACAF (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) and CONMEBOL (South America) against each other – leaving two countries standing as World Cup qualifiers at the end. But ahead of the 2022 finals in Qatar, FIFA altered the format – with one-off matches played in the World Cup host nation; Costa Rica and Australia qualified after beating New Zealand and Peru respectively in Al Rayyan. This time around, the format for the inter-confederation play-off for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been changed again. Six countries – one from Asia, one from South America, two from Central America, North America and the Caribbean, one from South America and one from Oceania (New Caledonia has already booked its place) – will take part in a tournament. The four-game competition will be hosted by one or more of the United States, Canada or Mexico in March 2026, just three months before the start of the FIFA World Cup. The six competing nations in the inter-confederation play-off will be divided based on FIFA World Ranking. The two best-ranked teams will move directly into respective 'finals,' while the other four will be split into two semi-finals. The winner of each will then advance to the finals, from which the last two places at the 2026 FIFA World Cup can be secured. Saudi Arabia's current world ranking of 58 would likely put it in a strong position to be granted a direct spot in the final. The three pathways to the 2026 FIFA World Cup offer significantly different opportunities and timelines for the Green Falcons. The best-case scenario would see Saudi Arabia playing just two more games in June, but Renard's players will face four more if they need to play in the Fourth Round, six more if they reach the Fifth Round and potentially eight more in total if they make it to the FIFA inter-confederation play-off.
