Doha, Qatar: The 4th GCC Games Doha 2026 will officially open on Monday at Al Shaqab Arena, as Qatar hosts one of the region’s largest and most prestigious multi-sport events from May 11 to 22.
The opening ceremony will be attended by presidents of the National Olympic Committees, secretaries-general, senior officials of the Olympic committees and sports federations from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, in addition to the participating delegations.
The ceremony will feature a variety of artistic and cultural performances, including a special operetta titled (One Gulf, One Heart) celebrating the unity, solidarity and shared identity of the GCC nations.
Hosting this edition reflects the commitment of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Fourth GCC Games – Doha 2026, to delivering a tournament that embodies the deep-rooted bonds among GCC nations and contributes to strengthening the presence of Gulf sport, while presenting an exceptional edition that matches Qatar’s established position as a leading host of major regional and international sporting events.
More than 1,000 male and female athletes from the six GCC countries will compete in 17 different sports: handball, table tennis, athletics, padel, fencing, boxing, taekwondo, karate, swimming, billiards, snooker, 3x3 basketball, shooting, archery, volleyball, equestrian and bowling.
The Games will also witness strong women’s participation in 3x3 basketball, athletics, padel, taekwondo, fencing, shooting and archery events.
Qatar will be represented at the 4th GCC Games by a delegation of 300 male and female athletes competing across all sports featured in the Games.
Competitions will officially begin the day after tomorrow (Tuesday), with swimming events taking place at the Hamad Aquatic Centre, while 3x3 basketball competitions will be held at Al Gharafa Club Hall.
Taekwondo and table tennis competitions will be staged at Aspire Dome, while billiards competitions will take place at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall, and bowling events will be hosted at the Qatar Bowling Center.
On Wednesday, equestrian competitions will begin at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, while fencing and boxing competitions will be held at Aspire Dome. Shooting events will also commence at the Lusail Shooting Range.
Athletics competitions are scheduled to start on Thursday at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium at Qatar SC, in addition to handball competitions which will take place at Duhail Sports Hall.
Friday will witness the launch of snooker competitions at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall, while volleyball competitions will begin next Saturday at the Women’s Sports Hall, alongside padel competitions at Aspire Dome.
Archery competitions are scheduled to commence next Sunday at the Lusail Shooting Range, while karate competitions will be held for one day only on Thursday, May 21, the penultimate day of the Games, at Aspire Dome.
Historically, Kuwait topped the overall medal standings at the inaugural GCC Games held in Bahrain in 2011 with a total of 48 medals, including 27 gold, 14 silver and 7 bronze medals.
Bahrain finished second with 21 medals, including 10 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze medals, while Qatar secured third place with 26 medals, including 7 gold, 12 silver and 7 bronze medals.
The United Arab Emirates came fourth with 30 medals, including 5 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze medals, followed by Oman in fifth place with 11 medals, including 4 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze medals, while Saudi Arabia finished sixth with 23 medals, including 3 gold, 7 silver and 13 bronze medals.
Saudi Arabia topped the medal standings at the second edition of the Gulf Games held in Dammam in 2015 with 115 medals, including 57 gold, 35 silver and 23 bronze medals.
The United Arab Emirates finished second with a total of 73 medals, including 26 gold, 20 silver and 27 bronze medals, while Qatar claimed third place with 59 medals, comprising 11 gold, 17 silver and 31 bronze medals.
Bahrain came fourth with 43 medals, including 7 gold, 20 silver and 16 bronze medals, while Oman finished fifth with 29 medals, including 4 gold, 13 silver and 12 bronze medals.
Kuwait also topped the overall medal standings at the third GCC Games, which it hosted in 2022, with a total of 96 medals, including 36 gold, 28 silver and 32 bronze medals.
Bahrain finished second with 64 medals, including 20 gold, 23 silver and 21 bronze medals, while the United Arab Emirates secured third place with 50 medals, including 18 gold, 16 silver and 16 bronze medals.
Saudi Arabia came fourth with 67 medals, including 16 gold, 22 silver and 29 bronze medals, while Qatar finished fifth with a total of 52 medals, including 16 gold, 21 silver and 15 bronze medals.
Oman placed sixth with 33 medals, including 12 gold, 5 silver and 16 bronze medals.
The Doha edition of the Games is expected to further strengthen Gulf sporting cooperation and solidarity while showcasing Qatar’s world-class sports infrastructure and outstanding organizational capabilities in hosting major international sporting events.
