The date of the draw for the 27th Gulf Cup…distribution of teams, their international classifications, and the qualification mechanism

The draw for the 27th edition of the Arabian Gulf Football Cup, “Gulf 27”, which is hosted by Saudi Arabia during the period from September 23 to October 6, will be drawn the day after tomorrow, Tuesday.

The Gulf Football Association stated in a press statement on its official website that the draw ceremony will begin at five o’clock UAE time in the Culture Square in the Arts Center building of the Red Sea International Film Festival in historic Jeddah, in the presence of the President of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, and the President of the Saudi Football Federation, Yasser Al-Mashal, along with a number of Federation officials and representatives of the eight participating teams, in addition to an elite group of former Gulf football stars.

All Gulf federations confirmed their participation in the draw ceremony, in addition to the presence of a number of team managers and coaches, while coordination meetings in Saudi Arabia continue at an increasing pace to complete preparations for the draw ceremony and the tournament.

“Gulf 27” is the fifth edition held under the umbrella of the Arabian Gulf Cup Football Federation, and will be hosted by the city of Jeddah at the stadiums of King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium, with the participation of the teams of the Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, and Yemen.

According to the latest classification issued by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) on April 1, the Qatari team, ranked 55th in the world, and the Iraqi team, ranked 57th in the world, came in the first level, while the second level included the Saudi team (61st in the world) and the Emirati team (68th in the world), and the Omani team (79th in the world) and the Bahraini team (91st in the world) came in the third level, while the fourth level included the Kuwaiti team (134th in the world) and the national team. Yemeni (149 globally).

According to the lottery system, the teams will be distributed into two groups, each containing four teams, with one team drawn from each level in each group, ensuring that two teams of the same level will not face each other in the first round.

The Saudi team, as the host of the tournament, will be at the top of the first group, while the Emirati team will be at the top of the second group according to the approved classification.

The first round matches will be held in a single-stage league system, with the first and second of each group qualifying for the semi-finals, where the winner of the first group will meet the runner-up of the second group, while the winner of the second group will face the runner-up of the first group, and the two winners will qualify for the final match to determine the champion of the tournament.

On the sidelines of the draw ceremony, the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation holds meetings of a number of its committees, including the Competitions Committee, the Referees Committee, and the Media Committee, to discuss work programs and preparations for the next stage before the start of the tournament.

The Arabian Gulf Cup has enjoyed a special public status in the Gulf region since its launch in 1970 in Bahrain, as it represents a sporting and social occasion that reflects the spirit of brotherhood and rapprochement between the peoples of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

It is noteworthy that Saudi Arabia previously hosted the tournament four times in 1972, 1988, 2002 and 2014.