{"id":568943,"date":"2026-09-25T05:06:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T00:06:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadpakistan.com.pk\/news\/?p=568943"},"modified":"2026-09-25T05:10:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T00:10:30","slug":"arabian-gulf-cup-opening-ceremony-puts-jeddah-under-the-lights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leadpakistan.com.pk\/news\/arabian-gulf-cup-opening-ceremony-puts-jeddah-under-the-lights\/","title":{"rendered":"Arabian Gulf Cup opening ceremony puts Jeddah under the lights"},"content":{"rendered":"

JEDDAH
\nThe 27th edition of the Gulf Cup got underway on Wednesday with a spectacular opening ceremony under the patronage of King Salman. The ceremony, held at the Al-Inman Stadium, formerly the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, and coinciding with Saudi National Day, featured a blend of performances and symbolic elements inspired by Gulf identity, in the presence of prominent sporting and political figures.
\nThe tournament was declared open by Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, deputy governor of Makkah, and will run until Oct. 6. The action on the pitch kicked off with Iraq\u2019s 1-1 draw with Oman at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in the Group A opener, before the hosts defeated Kuwait 1-0 at the Al-Inma Stadium.
\nThe opening ceremony was also attended by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani, president of the Gulf Football Federation. It was an evening that once again highlighted the Gulf Cup as a reflection of the deep-rooted ties between the competing nations and their communities. Sheikh Hamad said the start marks a new chapter in the history of the Gulf Cup, which over the decades has established itself as one of the region\u2019s most prominent international competitions.
\nHe also praised King Salman for his patronage of the event, noting that it reflects Saudi Arabia\u2019s continued support for sport and Gulf football. The ceremony featured former football stars from the eight Gulf teams, that revisited memorable moments from the history of the competition, and celebrated the players who contributed to its rich legacy and enduring place among fans across the region.
\nThe opening ceremony concluded with a fireworks display. Thursday\u2019s matches in Group B will have the UAE take on Yemen in the early match at the Al-Inma Stadium, with Qatar taking on Bahrain at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium. \u2014 DNA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

JEDDAH The 27th edition of the Gulf Cup got underway on Wednesday with a spectacular opening ceremony under the patronage of King Salman. The ceremony, held at the Al-Inman Stadium, formerly the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, and coinciding with Saudi National Day, featured a blend of performances and symbolic elements inspired by Gulf identity, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-568943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nArabian Gulf Cup opening ceremony puts Jeddah under the lights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/leadpakistan.com.pk\/news\/arabian-gulf-cup-opening-ceremony-puts-jeddah-under-the-lights\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Arabian Gulf Cup opening ceremony puts Jeddah under the lights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"JEDDAH The 27th edition of the Gulf Cup got underway on Wednesday with a spectacular opening ceremony under the patronage of King Salman. 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