Saudi driver Yazid Al-Rajhi won the 2026 Jeddah Baja Rally title for the seventh time in his career, and the fifth in a row, after he finished the second round of the Saudi Baja Championship at the top of the overall standings, ahead of Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah, while the Governor of Jeddah, Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, crowned the winners, on Saturday evening, in the presence of Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation.
Al Rajhi finished the rally with a total time of two hours, 23 minutes and 55.7 seconds, ahead of Al-Attiyah, who came in second by one minute and 5.8 seconds, while Saleh Al-Saif came in third place, 17 minutes and 35.4 seconds behind the leader.
In the “Ultimate” category, Khalaf Al-Shammari won first place with a total time of 3 hours, 10 minutes and 40.5 seconds, Ahmed Al-Shammari came second, and Ayada Al-Shammari third.
As for the “Stoke” category, Abdulaziz Al Yaish won first place with a time of 3 hours, 49 minutes and 0.7 seconds, ahead of Salem Al-Qurini, who ranked second, and Muhammad Asiri, who came in third.
In the Challenger category, Saleh Al-Saif took first place with a total time of two hours, 41 minutes and 31.1 seconds, while Dania Aqeel came in second place.
The “Side by Side” category saw Hamad Al-Harbi win first place with a time of 3 hours, 9 minutes and 32.3 seconds, then Maha Al-Hamali came in second place, and Mashael Al-Huwaish came in third place.
In motorcycle competitions, Emirati Mohammed Al Balushi won first place with a total time of 3 hours, 39 minutes and 17.6 seconds, ahead of his compatriot Sultan Al Balushi, who came second, while Ibrahim Al Jarallah ranked third.
In the Quad category, Haitham Al-Tuwaijri achieved first place with a total time of 4 hours, 7 minutes and 54.1 seconds, Abdul Rahman Al-Abdul Latif came second, and Bader Al-Hamdan third.
The Saudi Baja Championship competitions will move to the Qassim region, which will host the third and final round during the period from 2 to 5 December, where the competition between Al-Attiyah and Al-Rajhi for the season title will be renewed.
Al-Attiyah had won the Hail International Rally title, before Al-Rajhi responded by winning in Jeddah, making the final round in Al-Qassim decisive in determining the identity of the season’s champion.
An informed source from within the Abha Club told Asharq Al-Awsat that the football team’s training witnessed a noticeable increase in morale among the players, a positive indication of the improvement in the general condition of the group under the leadership of Croatian coach Teo Perija, who was appointed as the new technical director, late last October.
According to the sources, the atmosphere that prevailed in the training session reflected a state of psychological satisfaction and positive interaction between the players, in addition to strong competition and seriousness in implementing the training, noting that this situation is considered one of the most prominent transformations that the group witnessed compared to the previous period, which was affected by the decline in results and the pressures of competition.
Pereja decided to give the players a rest on Sunday, after 4 consecutive days of training that began last Wednesday, in a move that may reflect the technical staff’s keenness to strike a balance between increasing physical readiness and maintaining the players’ mental and psychological recovery.
This improvement in the team's internal climate comes at a stage during which the Croatian coach seeks to restore the confidence of his players, and alleviate the psychological pressures associated with the absence of victories, while maintaining the spirit of competition and discipline within training.
Abha is preparing to face Al-Shabab on November 26, within the Saudi League competitions, amid aspirations for the positive atmosphere to be reflected in the performance of the team, which is searching for its first victory this season.
The Greek Georgios Donis, coach of the Saudi national team, gave the “Green” players a free day in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Saturday, after their victory over the South Korean national team, 3-2, on Friday, as part of their preparatory camp held during the international break in November.
Donis preferred to rest his players from training, and give them the opportunity to spend a free tour in Doha, and to return on Saturday evening to the mission’s residence, in preparation for completing the preparatory program for the second friendly confrontation against Uzbekistan.
The Saudi national team will resume training on Sunday evening, at six-thirty, at the Al-Ersal Stadium in Doha, with a training session closed to the media, during which the technical staff continues its preparations for the final confrontation in the camp.
“Al-Akhdar” will conclude its camp next Tuesday by meeting the Uzbekistan national team at “Khalifa Bin Hamad” Stadium, the stadium of Al-Sadd Club, in its second friendly experience during the international break.
