Minister of Sports and Youth and AGCFF President H E Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani with the General Assembly members.
Doha, Qatar: Minister of Sports and Youth and Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF) President H E Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani yesterday chaired AGCFF’s General Assembly meeting in Doha. The meeting approved Saudi Arabia and Iraq as hosts for the Gulf Cup tournaments for under-15 and under-23 age groups, with dates to be determined later after referral to the federation’s Competitions Committee.
Several items, topics, and proposals submitted by member states were discussed, with the agenda adopted and the financial and administrative report reviewed. The meeting also addressed Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the 27th Gulf Cup, scheduled from September 23 to October 6, 2026.
The Executive Office of the Federation emphasised the need to continue Gulf football’s successes and further develop tournaments, especially at the youth level. The Federation also praised Qatar for its successful hosting of the Under-17 and Under-23 Gulf Cup tournaments, noting the organization left a positive impression on all teams. Jassim Al-Rumaihi, Secretary General of the Gulf Football Federation, said during a press conference after the meeting that the key decisions included Iraq organizing the under-23 Gulf Cup in Basra, and Saudi Arabia hosting the under-15 Gulf Cup, with dates to be set later by the Competitions Committee according to the international calendar.
He added that the timing of the 27th Gulf Cup, from September 23 to October 6, 2026, was chosen to accommodate Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the 2027 Asian Cup.
The Gulf Football Federation’s inspection committee will make several visits to Saudi Arabia in the next phase to monitor preparations, assess the host country’s readiness, and review alternatives as customary.
