The idea of having a super cup tournament in Saudi Arabia dates back to 1979 when a two-legged match was held between the 1978–79 Saudi Premier League winners, Al-Hilal, and the 1979 King Cup winners, Al-Ahli. The first leg, which was played in Jeddah, ended in 2–2 draw and the second leg, held in Riyadh, ended in a 4–1 win for Al-Hilal. 20 years later, another super cup match between Al-Hilal, the 1998–99 Saudi Premier League winners, and Al-Ahli, the 1998–99 Saudi Crown Prince Cup winners, was held. It was the opening match for the inaugural Saudi Founder's Cup and ended in a 5–2 win for Al-Hilal. In 2012, Saudi ArabianFootball Federation officially decided to launch the tournament following the conclusion of the 2011–12 season. The planned super cup match was set to be held between the 2011–12 Saudi Professional League winners, Al-Shabab and the 2012 King Cup of Champions winners, Al-Ahli. However, the 2012 Super Cup was canceled due to scheduling issues as no appropriate date for the match was found. The tournament was officially inaugurated in 2013 and was played by the 2012–13 Saudi Professional League winners, Al-Fateh, and 2013 King Cup of Champions winners, Al-Ittihad. Al-Fateh won the first official edition of the Saudi Super Cup after beating Al-Ittihad 3–2. In 2015, the Super Cup was played outside of Saudi Arabia for the first time. The match was between 2014–15 Saudi Professional League winners, Al-Nassr, and 2015 King Cup winners, Al-Hilal. The match was held in Loftus Road in London and ended in 1–0 win for Al-Hilal. The next two editions were also held in London, with the 2016 edition held in Craven Cottage and the 2018 edition held once again in Loftus Road. The 2017 edition which was supposed to be contested between Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad was the first edition to be canceled. The decision was based on the request of then-Saudi national team manager, Edgardo Bauza, who expressed his desire to change the calendar of the season to help him set the ideal preparation program for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Competition Rules
League champions versus King Cup winners. If one team wins both the League and King Cup in a single season, the runner-up of the Pro League participates alongside the League winner.
The match consists of two periods of 45 minutes each, known as halves. If the scores are level at the end of 90 minutes, a penalty shoot-out determines the winner.
