Al-Ahli Jeddah Turns a New Page: Board Reboot Under Khalid Al-Ghamdi Sparks Hope

Drama in the Elections

Al-Ahli Jeddah Football Club unveiled its new board, led by Khalid Al-Ghamdi, a figure representing the club’s nonprofit members. The lineup aims to sharpen administrative steadiness and athletic performance as the team moves into a pivotal chapter.

Al-Ghamdi is joined by Ahmed Al-Shenqiti as vice president and head of the executive committee, a representative from the Public Investment Fund. The board also features Saudi and international talents with governance and sports investment know-how, including Khalid Taash as a board member and executive committee ally, Ahmed Al-Thibiti as a board member and head of the nominations and rewards committee, representing the fund, Mohammed Bin Laden as a board member and chair of the Audit Committee, and Khalid Al-Muhandi as a board member representing the club’s nonprofit members. The final addition was Jake Silverstein, a representative from the Public Investment Fund, creating a blend of local insight and global experience.

Achievements and the Season’s Arc

The new leadership comes amid a backdrop of dramatic elections where the presidency changed hands in early stages, then faced petitions and withdrawals that reshaped the race. Khalid Al-Ghamdi ultimately secured victory with 10,351 votes to 2,260 for his nearest rival in the August assembly, a mandate viewed as a vote of confidence in his prior track record.

Al-Ghamdi’s prior tenure at the club, including a 2019 presidency and a 2023 reappointment, established him as a steadying force with a strong business background in real estate and investments. His administration has been credited with transforming Al-Ahli into a competitive force in both domestic and continental arenas.

Under his leadership, the club reached significant milestones on the pitch and leveraged high-profile signings to boost sporting and commercial value. Notable arrivals included Riyad Mahrez, Edouard Mendy, Frank Kessie, Ivan Toni, Merih Demiral, Roberto Firmino, and Allan Saint-Maximin, elevating the club’s profile in the region and beyond.

A New Challenge Ahead: The Riyadh Test

Looking ahead to the 2025-2026 campaign, Al-Ahli opened with the Saudi Super Cup triumph and has shown competitive form across the Roshen Pro League. In recent league fixtures, the team tallied a 1-0 win over Neom, followed by draws with Al Ettifaq and Al Hilal, before bouncing back with a 2-0 victory over Al Hazm and a 1-1 draw with Al Shabab, and a 1-0 win against Al Naqba. In the AFC Champions League for the Elite, they staged a dramatic comeback to beat Nasaf Qarshi 4-2, then drew 2-2 with Al-Duhail and hammered Al-Gharafa 4-0, signaling a strong continental push. In the King Cup, Al-Ahli advanced to the quarterfinals after a 3-0 thrashing of Al-Batin, though they recently suffered a 1-3 defeat to Pyramids in the Intercontinental Cup final, a reminder that every trophy demands stubborn consistency.

Now the focus shifts to a big test against Riyadh at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, set for the seventh round of the Roshen Pro League. Al-Ahli sits in fifth with 12 points, while Riyadh occupies 13th with six points, and the head-to-head history since Riyadh’s return to top-flight football has tilted in favor of the home side in recent derbies.

With administrative stability in place, the club’s leadership hopes to translate governance strength into on-field consistency, pushing for both domestic glory and a sustained continental challenge this season.

Punchline time: If the board can keep the gears greased, the only red tape you’ll see around Al-Ahli is the ribbon they cut at the trophy ceremony. And if all else fails, they can always claim the press conference was a shape-shifting exercise in strategic transparency. Punchline two: the only thing sharper than their plan might be the club’s new matching tie—because nothing says “we’re serious” like coordinated neckwear and a quarterly report, right?