Power outage halts Al-Khaleej vs. NEOM match for nearly 20 minutes

DAMMAM — The match between Al-Khaleej and NEOM at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam was suspended for nearly 20 minutes after a power outage interrupted play.The outage occurred three minutes into the second half with the score level at 0-0, prompting referee Fareeh Al-Jaloud and his assistants to halt the match.Players remained on the field while officials consulted on the next course of action in case the interruption exceeded 30 minutes.Stadium management activated backup lighting in the main stand and surrounding areas, and the main scoreboard resumed operation after about 17 minutes.Discussions continued among match officials, with team representatives inquiring about the applicable regulations, before power gradually returned and full lighting was restored, allowing the match to resume.Under competition regulations, the referee may terminate a match if play cannot resume within 30 minutes and players have returned to the dressing rooms. However, this did not occur, and the game continued, with NEOM later awarded a penalty that resulted in the winning goal.The Saudi Pro League issued a statement saying the outage originated from the main power source supplying the facility, operated by the Saudi Electricity Company.League representatives coordinated with officials to address the issue and ensure completion of the match, reaffirming commitment to organizational and safety standards.The Saudi Electricity Company said a momentary fault in an underground cable within the network supplying the stadium caused a limited and temporary interruption.It stated that protection and operating systems responded immediately and service was restored automatically within three minutes.The company apologized for the disruption and said it would take all necessary technical measures to enhance network reliability.The Saudi Electricity Regulatory Authority said the outage began at 11:07 p.m. Saturday and lasted three minutes, noting that restoring service inside the facility required additional time due to internal systems.The authority said it has directed the Saudi Electricity Company to conduct an urgent technical and operational investigation and submit a detailed report outlining causes and corrective actions to prevent recurrence. It added that it will continue monitoring procedures to protect consumer rights.