Sports
The eyes of regional football enthusiasts turn to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday evening, as the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup, "Khaliji 27," begins. This eagerly awaited tournament draws widespread attention, with eight national teams vying for the prestigious title amidst substantial financial incentives and valuable individual awards. Jassim Al-Rumaihi, GCC Football Federation Secretary-General, revealed the tournament's financial prizes. The champion will receive one million dollars, while the runner-up gets five hundred thousand dollars. No monetary prize is awarded for third place. For individual accolades, the Best Player will be granted a residential apartment from strategic partner "Al-Diyar Al-Arabiya Real Estate Development," its location to be determined later. The Jeddah competitions run from September 23 to October 6, hosted at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium and Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium. The eight participating teams are divided into two groups: Group A includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and Oman; Group B consists of the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Yemen. The tournament opens with two Group A matches Wednesday evening. Iraq faces Oman at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium at 5:30 PM, Saudi Arabia/Egypt time. This is followed by Saudi Arabia versus Kuwait at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium at 9:00 PM. The first round concludes Thursday with Group B matches: UAE against Yemen, and Qatar against Bahrain. The top two from each group advance to the semi-finals. Group A winner plays Group B runner-up, and Group B winner faces Group A runner-up. Both semi-finals are on October 3, with King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah hosting the final on October 6. Teams enter Khaliji 27 with varied ambitions, as Bahrain holds the title from the previous edition, won in Kuwait in 2025.
