Former Oman National Team Player Fawzi Bashir: The Gulf Cup Has Delivered Significant Benefits to Football in the Region and Contributed to Developing New Generations

The former Oman national team player Fawzi Bashir expressed his great admiration for the draw ceremony for the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup, held on Tuesday at Culture Square within the Art Center of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Historic Jeddah.

He stated: “The Gulf Cup is a competition of great significance that everyone eagerly anticipates, given the substantial benefits it has delivered to Gulf football. Gulf countries have witnessed remarkable progress in training facilities and sports infrastructure, which continue to benefit national teams and domestic clubs while contributing to the development of new generations of talented players.”

The former Oman international further emphasized that Khaleeji 27 is expected to witness strong competition, noting that Oman has been drawn into a challenging group alongside host nation Saudi Arabia; Kuwait, the tournament’s most successful team in terms of titles, and Iraq.

The former Oman star, who participated in several previous editions of the tournament, also extended his appreciation to the Gulf Cup Football Federation for its active role in developing the competition, expressing his hopes for the tournament’s continued success and distinguished status in every edition.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the tournament from September 23 to October 6, 2026, in the city of Jeddah, across King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium. This marks the first edition of the tournament to be hosted in Jeddah, within a comprehensive operational and organizational framework that reflects the Kingdom’s rapid progress in hosting major sporting events.