27th Gulf Cup officially opens in Jeddah

JEDDAH: The 27th Gulf Cup officially opened in Jeddah on Wednesday with a ceremony at King Abdullah Sports City featuring cultural and artistic performances inspired by Gulf heritage and Saudi Arabia’s National Day.
Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz al Saud, Deputy Governor of Makkah Region, officially declared the tournament open.
Gulf Football Federation president Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al Thani attended the ceremony, which marked the start of the tournament running from September 23 to October 6.
The ceremony combined traditional Gulf elements with modern performances and fireworks, setting the stage for the 15-match tournament featuring eight national teams.
The Gulf Football Federation’s competitions committee held its second meeting in Jeddah to review reports from the opening-day matches between Iraq and Oman and Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
The meeting, chaired by Dr Khalid bin Abdulaziz bin Muqrin, also reviewed training schedules and the use of designated training venues for the participating teams.
The committee also reviewed the work of match commissioners and preparations for the remainder of the tournament through the semifinals.
Meanwhile, the Gulf Football Federation has announced 77 prizes for fans attending Gulf Cup 27, including 75 iPhones and two BYD cars.
More than 350 volunteers are supporting the tournament across fan services, crowd management, media, protocol, transportation and stadium operations.
Oman will target a third Gulf Cup title after triumphs in 2009 and 2017.
Saudi Arabia will seek a fourth crown, while record champions Kuwait aim for an 11th title and Iraq look for their fifth title.
Qatar will seek a fourth crown after previous triumphs in 1992, 2004 and 2014.
Defending champions Bahrain will seek to retain the trophy, while the UAE will chase a third title after winning the tournament in 2007 and 2013.
Yemen, who secured their first Gulf Cup match win in the previous edition, will aim to build on that achievement.