JEDDAH, Thursday October 15, 2026 — FIFA and the Saudi Esports Federation have postponed the FIFAe Finals 2026, the global video game championship due to be staged in Jeddah from October 16 to 25, organisers announced on Thursday, citing the recent wave of attacks across Saudi Arabia. On the same day, Japan raised its travel alert for northern and western parts of the kingdom to Level 2, with the whole country now at Level 2 or higher on Tokyo’s scale.
First major event postponement
Organisers said the decision “follows an assessment of recent developments in the region and their impact on the logistical arrangements required to stage the tournament,” according to the statement carried by Reuters. “Further announcements on the FIFAe Finals will be communicated in due course,” they added.
The postponement follows the withdrawal of Japan and Brazil’s esports teams on Saturday. The Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis tournament was moved from October to December, while the Asian Football Confederation said it remains open to delaying the Asian Cup — scheduled to kick off on January 7, 2027 in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar — until 2028 if necessary, Reuters reported.
Japan raises the alarm
Japan’s Foreign Ministry raised its travel alert for northern and western Saudi Arabia from Level 1, which calls for exercising caution, to Level 2, which calls for avoiding nonessential travel, the Japan Times reported. The change, announced Wednesday, reflects increased Houthi attacks.
The Level 2 advisory now covers the Asir, Najran and Jazan provinces — excluding the Yemen border area, which remains at Level 3 — plus districts of Mecca province, Arab News Japan reported. Level 2 also remains in effect for the Riyadh and Eastern provinces and the Iraq border area.
Japanese officials warned the security environment remains volatile and attacks “are expected to continue,” citing risks of sudden flight cancellations, airport closures and infrastructure damage. Citizens planning to visit the kingdom were advised to consider postponing their trips, and the ministry said no Japanese nationals had been affected as of Wednesday.
A widening circle of warnings
Japan joins a growing list of governments warning citizens against travel to the kingdom. Al Jazeera reported that the United States, Australia, Canada, South Korea and New Zealand have all issued advisories. Australia advised citizens to avoid King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, New Zealand urged its nationals not to travel to the capital’s main airport or the provinces of Najran, Jazan and Asir, the US embassy in Riyadh advised Americans to reconsider travel, and South Korea’s Foreign Ministry recommended its citizens leave the country unless travelling for essential business.
The warnings follow a week of unprecedented airport attacks. A Houthi strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Saturday killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300 — the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade, Reuters reported — while a projectile on Sunday killed one person and injured 11 others, Saudi aviation authorities said.
The postponement marks a new phase: what began as disruption to air travel has now reached the sporting calendar on which Saudi Arabia has staked so much of its global image. Organisers of bigger events on the horizon — including the 2027 Asian Cup and the 2034 FIFA World Cup — will be watching closely.
