Saudi Arabia Set for ‘Khaleeji 27’ Draw Ceremony in Jeddah

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Jeddah: The official draw for the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup, entitled ‘Khaleeji 27,’ will be held in Jeddah on Tuesday prior to the start of the competition, which is set to start from September 23 to October 6.

The event is set to be hosted in the Cultural Square of The Red Sea International Film Festival Arts Centre.

Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium and King Abdullah Sports City will host the tournament's matches.

The regional tournament will feature eight teams: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, and Yemen.

Teams have been classified into four seeding pots based on the most latest FIFA rankings, which were published on April 1. Pot 1 consists of Qatar and Iraq, Pot 2 of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Pot 3 of Oman and Bahrain, and Pot 4 of Kuwait and Yemen.

As hosts, Saudi Arabia is bound to lead Group A, while the UAE will lead Group B as the second-seeded team. Each group consists one team from each pot, with teams from the same pot ineligible to play off in the opening stage.

The top two teams from each round-robin group will make it to the semi-finals of the competition. Group B's winner will compete against Group A's runner-up for a place in the final, while Group A's winner will compete against Group B's runner-up.