Al-Hilal deservedly won the Elite Cup
The President of the Saudi Volleyball Federation, Mr. Waleed bin Ali Al-Muqbil, crowned Al-Hilal with the Elite Volleyball Cup for the 2026 season. This well-deserved crowning took place on Saturday evening, in the presence of the CEO and Secretary General of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Mr. Abdulaziz Ba'ashan. Al-Hilal secured the title after a thrilling victory in the final match against Al-Ittihad Club, winning three sets to one (3-1), in a well-attended match held at the Ministry of Sports Hall in Jeddah.
Details of the rounds and the placement matches
The final match was a highly competitive and exciting affair, with the set scores as follows: Al-Hilal dominated the first two sets, winning 25-17 and 25-13 respectively. Al-Ittihad rallied in the third set to take it 26-24, but Al-Hilal ultimately secured the victory in the fourth set, winning 25-18.
With this result, Al-Ittihad Club secured second place and the silver medal. In the third-place match, Al-Ahli Club claimed third place and the bronze medal after defeating Al-Ula Club 3-1. The set scores were as follows: Al-Ula took the lead 25-23, but Al-Ahli rallied to win three consecutive sets 25-20, 25-19, and 25-21.
Professional organization and modern technologies
The Elite Volleyball Cup tournament was held from April 1st to 4th at the Ministry of Sports Hall in Jeddah, with the participation of elite clubs: Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Hilal, and Al-Ula. The tournament witnessed high levels of skill and fierce competition among the participating teams. To ensure fairness and transparency, Video Challenge technology was used to support the accuracy of refereeing decisions, adding a professional, world-class dimension to the competitions and reflecting the significant development of sports in Saudi Arabia.
Digital transformation in line with Vision 2030
On the media front, the tournament's matches were broadcast on the "Team Saudi" YouTube channel, as well as on Saudi sports channels, as part of the accompanying media coverage. The tournament achieved remarkable public success, with views on the "Team Saudi" platform exceeding 100,000.
This broadcast is part of a pilot program through which the Saudi team, in cooperation with sports federations, is working to transmit tournaments and sporting events via a specialized digital platform. This initiative directly contributes to supporting the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to develop various sports and provide digital platforms that enable fans to easily follow major sporting events.
Historical context and importance of the championship
The Saudi Arabian Volleyball Elite Cup is one of the most important domestic tournaments, concluding the season's competitions and bringing together the top teams from the league. Al-Hilal's victory in this tournament reaffirms its historical dominance in Saudi volleyball, as it is one of the most successful clubs in the sport's history, having won numerous domestic titles in both the Premier League and cup competitions.
The continued success of such tournaments reflects the significant progress Saudi sports, and volleyball in particular, are making. The strong support from the wise leadership, the Ministry of Sports, and the Olympic Committee contributes to raising the level of competitiveness, which positively impacts the performance of Saudi national teams in regional and international competitions and lays the foundation for a generation of athletes capable of competing in major Asian and global tournaments.
