Kuwaiti sports minister: The Saudi Super Cup is a big test of our capabilities | Goal.com

Published on 14 Oct 2026 | Reading time: 2 minutes

Tariq Al-Jalahma, Kuwait's Minister of Sport, has described the hosting of the Saudi Super Cup in Kuwait as a major challenge, given the participation of an elite group of global football stars, stressing his country's ambition to deliver an edition befitting the tournament's standing and its popular appeal.

Al-Jalahma was speaking on the sidelines of the competition's draw, held in Kuwait on Wednesday. He sees the event as a chance to prove his country can stage major sporting competitions. The scale of the challenge, he added, also comes down to the resources needed to make the tournament a success and to cooperation between the government and private sectors.

He said in remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat: "Today we are talking about the stars present in the Saudi Super Cup, and they are global stars, and this is certainly a major challenge for us, a challenge to our capabilities and to the partnership between the government and private sectors."

Strengthening cooperation between the two sectors sits among Kuwait's priorities for hosting more sporting events in future, the minister explained, and that approach stretches beyond football into various sports.

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He added: "We are pushing towards strengthening the partnership between the government and private sectors to host such events in the future, not only at football level, but in various sports."

Coordination and combined efforts are the foundation of success, Al-Jalahma stressed, and he is confident the tournament will emerge in a manner befitting its standing. He continued: "Success requires solidarity and cooperation between the private and government sectors, and God willing the hosting will match the level of the event and the value that the Saudi Super Cup holds."

Kuwait stages the tournament from 19 to 23 December, with Al-Ahli, Al-Qadsiah, Al-Nassr and Al-Khaleej involved.

The draw paired Al-Ahli against Al-Qadsiah in the first semi-final, while Al-Nassr face Al-Khaleej in the second semi-final.

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