The football world in Saudi Arabia tunes in as the Enmaa Stadium hosts Saturday’s Jeddah Derby between Al Ahli and Al Ittihad, the eighth round of the Roshen Saudi Pro League. The fixture carries a special aura: it’s not only about securing three points, but about writing a fresh page in a storied rivalry on a landmark occasion—the 100th league clash between the two clubs.
This derby has long been one of the most intense rivalries in the Arab world, a fixture that grows in significance with every encounter and every goal scored in the color of red or green and white. The match is a continuation of a tradition that has shaped the league’s history for decades.
Their rivalry stretches back to the earliest days of organized football in the region, with the first epic chapter dating to 1938 in a friendly staged on a dusty pitch in Jeddah that ended in a goalless draw. The teams later met in a touching final for the Crown Prince Cup in 1958, when Al Ittihad edged Al Ahli 3-2 in front of more than 12,000 fans at the Prince Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah.
A Deep-Rooted Rivalry
By the late 1970s, league battles between the two were regular, with Al Ahli claiming a 2-0 win in the 1976-77 league meeting. In recent seasons, their league head-to-head has produced a balanced ledger: last season’s 2-2 draw followed 99 previous league meetings that have seen wins split fairly evenly and a generous share of draws. Overall, the rivalry has produced a high-scoring history, with roughly equal goal totals for each side across the decades.
Notably, Al Ittihad have tallied 135 goals in this derby against 133 for Al Ahli, with a period in 2022-2023 showing a temporary halt to the derby as Ahli faced relegation to the First Division for the first time in their history, underscoring how volatile and dramatic this fixture can be.
The Hundredth Derby: History and Stakes
Looking at the present, Al Ahli, under German coach Matthias Jaissle, sit with 13 points in fifth place, boasting three wins, four draws, and zero defeats so far this season, while scoring nine and conceding five. Al Ittihad, led by Portuguese manager Sérgio Conceição, sit eighth with 11 points from three wins, two draws, and three losses, having found the net 15 times while conceding 13.
Both coaches arrive with distinct narratives. Jaissle has a growing derby record since arriving in 2023, chalking up several positive results against the arch-rival, while Conceição will oversee his first Jeddah Derby in charge, after replacing Laurent Blanc due to results concerns. The match thus doubles as a test of leadership and morale for both sides.
Across the broader landscape, the derby has also touched disciplinary lines. The Saudi Disciplinary and Ethics Committee announced fines tied to Round 7 actions: Fabio (Fabinho) of Al Ittihad was fined 10,000 SAR for a red card in a clash with Al Khaleej; Kalidou Koulibaly of Al Hilal was fined the same amount for a red card against Al Shabab; Moussa Dembélé of Al Ettefaq also faced a 10,000 SAR penalty for a red card. Separately, Al Ahli were fined 60,000 SAR after fans threw bottles onto the pitch in a match against Al Riyadh. These actions remind us that in this derby, tension can spill beyond the final whistle.
Two punchlines to keep things light: If passion were measured in goals, this derby would be a stadium-wide fireworks show—minus the smoke, plus the drama. And remember: in football, the ball has a funny habit of finding the most dramatic corner of the net right when you think you’ve seen it all. Punchline delivered, now let the action speak.
