KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin paid a courtesy call on Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Datuk Mahmoud Hussien Saeed Qattan, here today to discuss bilateral relations in developing football in the region.
They also discussed the oil-rich country’s bid to host sporting events in the region for the first time in the next 10 years.
“At the meeting, we discussed using football as a catalyst for enhancing bilateral relations between the two countries. We also exchanged views on developing football not only for our respective countries but for the entire Asian football family.
“Besides discussing current issues, we also touched on the development of women’s football and futsal,” said Hamidin, who is also an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Executive Committee member, in a statement.
Saudi Arabia had previously officially launched its bid to host the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in 2027 and the 21st Asian Games in 2030.
They are part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 sporting objective, a strategic framework launched by Crown Prince Mohammad Salman to reduce the country’s dependence on oil, diversify its economy and develop sectors such as recreation and tourism.
Four other countries — India, Iran, Qatar and Uzbekistan — have also submitted their bids to host the Asian Cup.
Riyadh also faces a challenge from Qatar’s Doha for the right to stage the 2030 Asiad after the 2022 Hangzhou Games and 2026 Nagoya Games.
Saudi Arabia, a traditional powerhouse from the Middle East, has won the Asian Cup three times in 1984, 1988 and 1996 as well as having qualified for the FIFA World Cup five times in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2018. — Bernama
