[7] In April 2024, in a derby match against rival team Al Nassr, he gathered some controversy after being elbowed by Cristiano Ronaldo after trying to intimidate him, resulting in a red card for Ronaldo and a yellow card for Al-Bulaihi.

[8] In June 2018, Al-Bulaihi was named in Saudi Arabia's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

[11] In the opening game, he played the whole match as his team defeated the eventual world champions Argentina 2–1.

[12] In January 2024, he drew criticism for shoving and grabbing the hair of South Korean player Son Heung-min, unprovoked, during the 2023 AFC Asian Cup round of 16.

Al-Bulaihi had previously similarly taunted Argentine player Lionel Messi by slapping him on the back.