Ajman Hosts the Ninth Edition of the Gulf Academies Football Festival with the Participation of 20 Teams

Under the patronage of Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Ajman Department of Tourism, Culture and Media, the ninth edition of the Gulf Academies Football Festival will kick off on Friday, 3 July, at the Quattro Sports Centre in Ajman, running until 9 July, with the participation of 20 teams.

The Supreme Organising Committee of the Festival announced the details of the new edition during a press conference held in the Emirate, attended by representatives of the sponsoring entities, organising partners, participating academies, and the media.

The ninth edition will see the participation of 20 teams representing six Gulf countries, comprising a total of 400 players, coaches, and administrators, competing across three age categories: Under-12, Under-14, and Under-16.

Mr Abdulaziz Abdullah, Chairman of the Supreme Organising Committee and General Supervisor of the Festival, affirmed that the tournament has become a Gulf sports platform for the discovery and development of footballing talent, and for promoting communication and fair sporting competition amongst young people.

He stated that the Festival includes an accompanying programme of sports, media, and educational events — encompassing post-match press conferences to review the highlights of each game and host technical staff and players, alongside e-sports and football skills tournaments, podcast episodes, panel discussions, and a Gulf Council session featuring a selection of Gulf football stars.

He added that the programme includes specialist training courses for coaches and administrators, with the aim of developing their capabilities, enriching the experience of participating delegations, and promoting the exchange of expertise between academies.

He noted that the ninth edition will see the application of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology for the first time in the tournament’s history, with three review instances available per team. All matches and accompanying events will be broadcast live in cooperation with C LIVE through a dedicated Festival application.

The Festival will also witness the launch of the official tournament ball, presented by Argentine company CH1, along with the presentation of a ball bearing the signature and image of the late Argentine football legend Diego Maradona as a prize for the best player in each match. A dedicated sports drink for the tournament will also be launched in cooperation with Dr. Nutrition.

The press conference featured addresses from representatives of the sponsors and partners. Abdullah Mohammed Al Obaidly, Events and Programmes Manager at the Ajman Department of Tourism, Culture and Media, delivered the address on behalf of the official sponsor, while His Excellency Saeed Al Ajel, Chairman of the UAE Sports for All Federation, delivered the Federation’s address.

Sami Ali Saleh, Corporate Communications Officer at Al Ihsan Charity Association, delivered the Association’s address in its capacity as organising partner. Abdullah Jaber, Chief Executive Officer of Lavish Perfumes Group, delivered the address of the Gold Sponsor, while Ahmed Al Saadi, Chairman of the Board of Hisn Ridan Restaurant, delivered the address of the Silver Sponsor.

The Organising Committee commended the support provided by Gulfa Mineral Water as the logistics supporter of the Festival, represented at the press conference by Mohammed Zeinal.

At the close of the press conference, Salem Khalfan, Tournament Director, conducted the draw ceremony, which resulted in the distribution of the participating teams into groups across the three age categories.

In the Under-12 category, Group One comprised the Argentine Academy, Euro Academy from the UAE, and Seventeen Four Academy from Kuwait, while Group Two comprised Al Ain Club Academy, Mawhibah Academy from Saudi Arabia, and Smart Academy from Oman.

In the Under-14 category, Group One comprised the Argentine Academy from the UAE, Ole Academy from Bahrain, and Smart Academy from Oman, while Group Two comprised Leo Academy from Iraq, Mawhibah Academy from Saudi Arabia, and Al Ain Club Academy.

In the Under-16 category, Group One comprised the Argentine Academy from the UAE, Sahm Academy from Kuwait, Al Qurm Academy from the UAE, and Al Shabab Academy from Oman, while Group Two comprised Leo Academy from Iraq, Seventeen Four Academy from Kuwait, Smart Academy from Oman, and Al Seeb Academy from Oman.

Group stage matches will be played over four days, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals, leading to the final on the evening of Thursday, 9 July, to determine the champions of the ninth edition of the Gulf Academies Football Festival.