Holland coach Ronald Koeman has publicly retired Bergwijn from the national team after he left Ajax for Al Ittihad.
But local pundit Martijn Krabbendam, of Voetbal International, defended the former Tottenham winger.
"Have you seen what kind of players are walking around there?" Krabbendam said on Voetbalpraat. "The French also had no problem calling up N'Golo Kante for the European Championship.
"You're punishing Bergwijn now for the fact that he's going there. You can't say: 'We're saying goodbye to you, because you're going to Saudi Arabia'.
''I think that the level in Saudi Arabia, with all those players, is still much higher than in the Eredivisie, you know.
''I watched a match there, Al-Nassr against Al-Hilal or something like that, that was just top level. High tempo with all top players. Then you can't say that Bergwijn is going to wind down in the sandbox. I think that's really nonsense.''