Heracles Almelo announced the departure of Walid Ould-Chikh to Kuwaiti club Al-Arabi on a season-long loan that includes a purchase option. The 26-year-old had signed permanently with the Dutch side from Eintracht Braunschweig only weeks earlier for €150,000 on July 1 but failed to appear in any of the first six matches of the 2026-27 Keuken Kampioen Divisie season. Technical director Ernest Faber said in a club statement that after regaining fitness the player found it difficult to accept his limited role and believed he would secure more minutes with Al-Arabi. The Dutch club indicated it would continue monitoring his progress closely.
Ould-Chikh had previously spent the 2025-26 season on loan at Heracles from Braunschweig before completing the permanent transfer. He made 26 Eredivisie appearances that term, scoring once and registering four assists. His most productive period arrived during a 2023-24 loan spell at Roda JC, where he tallied 12 goals and 10 assists across 40 matches according to transfer database records.
The move aligns with Al-Arabi’s ongoing reconstruction of its foreign contingent ahead of the Kuwait Premier League season. Transfermarkt data lists recent outgoing foreign players including Hassimi Fadiga, Nabil Marmouk and Komail Al-Aswad while arrivals encompass Kenean Markneh, Khadim Rassoul and others on free transfers or similar deals. The squad maintains a total market value of €1.75 million with eight overseas players currently registered.
Born in Roosendaal, Netherlands, Ould-Chikh stands 1.86 metres tall and is right-footed. He began his pathway with youth sides at Hercules and DHSC before joining Volendam’s setup in 2020 and progressing to the first team, where he logged 55 senior appearances and three goals. The loan agreement runs through June 30, 2027, at which point he returns to Heracles unless the buy option is triggered.
Al-Arabi has supplemented the Ould-Chikh signing with several domestic additions to increase squad depth and competition for places. The club fell short of expectations in prior seasons and is targeting stronger domestic and regional performances. Officials have initiated preseason friendlies to integrate the new signings and refine tactical setups under the coaching staff.
