Saudi security officials thwarted a terror plot targeting a stadium in Jeddah prior to an international football match between the Saudi team and  the UAE, authorities have announced.

The four suspects have been arrested after foiling the plot which targeted the Al-Jowharah Stadium on October 11, a spokesman of the Ministry of Interior said.

The authorities also brought down a four-member terrorist cell based in Shagraa province which aimed to target security men. They had established direct contact with a Daesh leader in Syria who gave them instructions. Four Saudi nationals were arrested in this operation.

On the plot related to the football match, he said information surfaced on October 9 indicating that a terrorist threat is imminent targeting Al-Jowharah football stadium in Jeddah.

"The plot was to be executed using a bomb car to be stationed at the parking lot surrounding the playground as a football match between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates was scheduled on October 11. The security authorities dealt with the matter with utmost alert and seriousness, enforcing more reinforcements and measures at the site and decisively dealing with any suspicion," he said.

The suspects were identified and arrested on October 10. They included two Pakistani nationals; a Syrian and a Sudanese.

He said the booby trapped car was to be filled with 400kg of explosives and detonated while or after the coming out of some 60,000 soccer fans from the match. It was designed to deal a serious blow to the public and security as well, he said.

The suspects were captured the moment they received the booby trapped car, just a day before the match.