Dammam-Khobar
Dammam, Dhahran and Khobar run into each other along the Gulf coast, and so do their football teams. Futsal halls, compound pitches and fenced courts fill after work. The MCC Dammam-Khobar tournament in 2027 puts one ground in each part of the metro, starts its Pitch Round on 9 April and sends champions toward the Saudi Arabia Country Championship.
Three grounds, three champions
Two halves of 15 minutes on a stop clock. Every team plays three group matches in a group of four, and the top two go into the playoffs, where a tie level after two halves goes to penalties. Five weeks of football on each ground leave Dammam-Khobar with three Pitch Champions, and each goes straight to the Country Championship.
North Dammam
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
Dhahran/Central
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
Khobar/South
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
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A three-town football scene on the Gulf coast
The Eastern Province has deep club roots. Al Ettifaq play in Dammam, Al Qadsiah in Khobar and Al Khaleej in Saihat nearby, so a team of friends here grows up with a local side to follow. Amateur football is just as busy, from company squads in Dhahran to neighbourhood groups in Khobar.
The MCC 5-a-side tournament in Dammam-Khobar suits all of them. Futsal and mini football players will recognise the short halves, the stop clock and the squad of up to nine. What is new is a bracket that links an evening pitch booking to a Country Championship and a World Final.
North Dammam, Dhahran/Central and Khobar/South
The three grounds follow the geography of the metro. North Dammam covers the northern districts of Dammam and the roads toward Qatif. Dhahran/Central takes in Dhahran and the middle of the urban area, including routes along the King Fahd Road. Khobar/South covers Khobar, Thuqbah and the southern coastal districts.
People get around mainly by car and ride-hailing. Each ground holds 64 to 128 teams, so a squad plays close to home, and each venue is listed here only after its agreement is signed. Because the metro is spread along the coast, picking the ground nearest your squad saves a long drive on weekday evenings after work.
April and May on the Gulf coast, then Riyadh and Jeddah
April and May bring warm, humid weather on the Gulf coast, and the Pitch Round fills them. Group football takes three weekends of April, starting on the 9th, and each ground then plays knockout matches that lead to its final on 9 May 2027.
Each ground's winner collects $20,000 and travels to the Country Championship on 28 to 30 May, to face the champions of Riyadh and Jeddah. Beyond that lie the continental stage and the World Final, which is on 7 July 2027.
One host city for three towns
Teams in the Eastern Province often cross municipal lines for work and family, and MCC treats the area as one host city with three grounds. When you register, you pick the ground that suits your squad, whichever of the three towns it comes from.
Each team needs one Team License and a named Team President. Penalties decide any level playoff tie and a zero-tolerance conduct policy covers everyone on and around the pitch. MCC recruits the match officials, a referee with two assistants and a fourth official, and assigns them to every game, so nobody on a team ever chooses who runs a match.
The road out of Dammam-Khobar
- 01 · 9 Apr - 9 May 2027
Pitch Round
Groups of four on every pitch, three group matches each. The top two of every group go into the playoffs, and penalties settle a level playoff tie.
$20,000 - 02 · 28-30 May 2027
Country Championship
The Pitch Champions of each country play for the national title: two halves of 15 minutes, a league table, then the playoffs.
$150,000 - 03 · 2027
Continental Championship
Country Champions compete within their region for a place on the world stage.
$500,000 - 04 · 7 Jul 2027
World Championship
A five-team mini-league, then the World Final: two halves of 15 minutes, penalties if level. One MCC World Champion.
$5,000,000
Questions from Dammam-Khobar
How does a team enter MCC in Dammam-Khobar?
Register on this site and pick one of Dammam-Khobar's three grounds: North Dammam, Dhahran/Central, Khobar/South. One Team License per team: USD 1,200 for one year until 1 March 2027 (then 2,500), or 5,000 for three years. Payment and KYC verification follow the application.
When does the tournament start in Dammam-Khobar?
The Pitch Round runs 9 April to 9 May 2027 on all three Dammam-Khobar grounds. The group matches are played on 9-11, 16-18 and 23-25 April, the playoffs from 30 April, and each ground's final on 9 May. Pitch Champions go straight to the Country Championship on 28-30 May 2027.
How many teams can play in Dammam-Khobar?
Up to 384: each of the three grounds takes up to 128 teams, and each needs a minimum of 64 to run its round. A full ground puts an entry on its waitlist instead of turning it away.
What can a Dammam-Khobar team win?
$20,000 per Pitch Champion, $150,000 for the Saudi Arabia title, $500,000 continental and $5,000,000 for the World Champion - plus championship rings from Country level up.
Can a team from Qatif or Jubail enter the Dammam-Khobar tournament?
Teams from nearby towns can choose a ground and enter if every player is an amateur. Choose whichever ground is easiest to get to after work, because each one runs a full Pitch Round of its own.
Do Aramco and Dhahran workplace teams count as amateur?
Workplace teams are fine if the players are amateurs and not paid to play football. Each squad needs a Team License and a named Team President. Read the entry terms for the precise definition of amateur.
Which ground suits a team from Dhahran or Al Khobar?
Dhahran/Central covers Dhahran and the middle of the urban area, and Khobar/South covers Khobar, Thuqbah and the southern coastal districts. Pick the one nearest your squad, because each ground runs a Pitch Round of its own and crowns its own Pitch Champion.
What happens to the three Pitch Champions after 9 May?
Each Pitch Champion wins $20,000 and goes to the Saudi Arabia Country Championship on 28 to 30 May 2027, where the Dammam-Khobar winners meet the champions of Riyadh and Jeddah. The continental stage and the World Final on 7 July follow.
Also hosting in Saudi Arabia
Nearby in Middle East and Caucasus
Claim a pitch in Dammam-Khobar
One Team License per team, for one year or three years. Squads of up to 9 are built in the MCC app after licensing. Registration takes the team, its coach and its Team President.
- USD1,200One year
- 5,000Three years