Gulf Cup Football Federation Referees Committee Reviews Preliminary List of Referees Nominated for “Khaleeji 27”

The Referees Committee of the Gulf Cup Football Federation held its meeting today, Monday, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, on the sidelines of the draw ceremony for the 27th edition of the tournament, Khaleeji 27, which is scheduled to take place tomorrow, Tuesday, at Culture Square – the Art Center of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Historic Jeddah.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Hani Taleb Ballan, Chairman of the Referees Committee of the Gulf Cup Football Federation, alongside committee members Hamad Ahmed Al Mazrouei, Ibrahim Mubarak Al Hosani, Abdulrahman Ali Al Omari, Ali Hasan Al Samahiji, and Committee Rapporteur Ahmed Al Attar.

During the meeting, the committee reviewed the preliminary list of referees nominated by the participating football associations to officiate matches during Khaleeji 27, in addition to the approved mechanism for appointing referee assessors and officiating teams for the tournament matches.

The committee members emphasized the importance of the tournament’s refereeing and organizational procedures, including the organization of intensive referee training courses and exploring all available means to ensure the tournament is delivered with the highest refereeing standards.

The committee also reviewed the nomination invitations for representatives from the Asian and African football confederations while discussing initiatives aimed at further enhancing the technical standards and performance levels of referees ahead of the tournament.

Mr. Hani Taleb Ballan, Chairman of the Referees Committee of the Gulf Cup Football Federation, expressed his satisfaction with the outcomes of the meeting, highlighting the constructive and purposeful discussions that serve the interests of football refereeing across the Gulf region.

Mr. Hani Taleb Ballan extended his appreciation to the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and the Local Organizing Committee for hosting the committee meeting on the sidelines of the Khaleeji 27 draw ceremony. He noted that the meeting included discussions on the committee’s agenda and activities during the previous season, as well as the presentation of a report on refereeing standards during recently organized tournaments, which concluded without major officiating errors affecting match outcomes.

He further noted that the refereeing system within the Gulf Cup Football Federation receives substantial support from His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, President of the Federation, who strongly believes in the role of refereeing in developing football competitions.

Mr. Ballan also expressed his appreciation to Mr. Jassim Sultan Al Rumaihi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cup Football Federation, for his continued support of referees across the Gulf region, as well as the efforts made by committee members to further develop the refereeing system within Gulf competitions.

He emphasized that referee development programs remain ongoing to further enhance officiating standards and expand the implementation of Video Assistant Referee technology across all competitions. A detailed report on the Gulf Clubs Champions League was also presented, with strong praise directed toward the high performance level of the referees throughout the tournament.

Mr. Ballan explained that the meeting also addressed the criteria and considerations related to the selection of officiating teams for Khaleeji 27, with clear technical standards and performance benchmarks agreed upon. Based on these criteria, the final referee list will be determined and officially announced ahead of the highly anticipated tournament next September.

He added that several neutral officiating teams will also be selected, including referees from Europe, while activating the cooperation agreement signed between the Gulf Cup Football Federation and the Confederation of African Football to attract referees from Africa, in addition to selecting referees from Asia and other continents.

The meeting further reviewed the key technical, technological, logistical, and medical requirements related to referees and officiating operations.

The Chairman of the Referees Committee also noted that the meeting discussed the mechanism for selecting technical instructors and VAR instructors responsible for preparing and training tournament referees to the highest standards. He praised the fruitful discussions and exchange of views during the meeting, emphasizing that the outcomes left positive impressions that will contribute to the success of the tournament, while commending the efforts of all committee members.

The city of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will host the prestigious tournament from September 23 to October 6, 2026. The championship continues to reflect the spirit of unity and solidarity among the peoples of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, while reinforcing the tournament’s role as a leading regional platform that combines sporting excellence with strong social and cultural ties across the Gulf region.