The 2034 hosts, who recorded a stunning victory against eventual winners Argentina at the 2022 World Cup, needed only a draw to seal a berth at a seventh showpiece event.

Herve Renard's side could have had taken the lead two minutes into the second half, but Lens full-back Saud Abdulhamid sent his effort over the Iraq crossbar with the goal at his mercy.

Moments later, Al Ahli midfielder Saleh Abu Al Shamat forced a fine save from range from Jalal Hassan, while the Iraq goalkeeper soon thwarted both Saudi captain Salem Al Dawsari and namesake Nasser Al Dawsari.

It took a save from goalkeeper Nawaf Al Aqidi deep into injury-time to ignite celebrations among the 60,000-plus crowd in Jeddah, but Saudi had done it.

Iraq, last participants in 1986, remain in the hunt for the World Cup: next month, they contest a two-legged tie against the UAE, with the winner then going into an intercontinental playoff.