Palestine will not be able to play Saudi Arabia at the Faisal Husseini International Stadium in Al-Ram ©Getty Images

FIFA has reversed a decision allowing Palestine to play a World Cup qualifier with Saudi Arabia on home soil due to security concerns.

A long-running dispute about where the fixture should be played has been in progress, with football's governing body initially agreeing to a Saudi demand for the match to be played on neutral territory.

The country, as with other Arab nations, have refused to play in Palestine's West Bank on the grounds it "normalises" Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory.

Saudi Arabia has no diplomatic relations with Israel, but FIFA performed a U-turn on its initial decision last month, seemingly clearing the way for Palestine to host the game at the Faisal Husseini International Stadium in Al-Ram tomorrow (November 5).

Saudi Arabia had objected to playing in Palestine
Saudi Arabia had objected to playing in Palestine ©Getty Images

The organisation has changed its mind again, however, and the fixture has now been re-scheduled for November 9 at a neutral venue.

Another home game against Malaysia on November 12 must also take place outside of Palestine, but the date for this game will remain unchanged.

"The decision followed a meeting held in Palestine yesterday between FIFA’s security officer and local authorities, after which the Palestinian government confirmed that it could no longer guarantee the safety and security around the matches in question," said a FIFA statement after the decision made by its Emergency Bureau.

Previously, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said that the idea of playing one of their home games elsewhere was "impossible" as it would delegitimise the country.

FIFA has asked the PFA to provide details on the neutral ground in Asia that will host both matches.

Palestine, who are third in their qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, did manage to play a game against the United Arab Emirates in Al-Ram in September, which ended as a 0-0 draw.



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