Prime Minister Ali Falih Al-Zaidi announced on Saturday that Baghdad will host the 28th Arabian Gulf Cup (Khaleeji 28).
The Prime Minister’s media office stated, in a release received by *Iraq Times*, that Prime Minister Ali Falih Al-Zaidi met with the President of the Iraqi Olympic Committee, Aqeel Muftan, and the President of the Iraq Football Association, Younis Mahmoud.
The statement added that the meeting addressed the current state of sports in Iraq across various sectors, emphasizing the importance of advancing the sports industry by developing infrastructure, supporting clubs, federations, and teams, and elevating the standard of competitions and national squads.
According to the statement, the Prime Minister affirmed that "Baghdad will be ready to host the 28th Arabian Gulf Cup in 2028." He stressed the necessity of fulfilling all hosting requirements, upgrading sports facilities, and completing unfinished stadiums—including the Al-Tajiyat Stadium, which has a capacity of over 60,000 spectators.
The Prime Minister directed that support be provided to the national team and the Iraq Football Association, and called for efforts to ensure the success of the Iraqi League. He instructed the Ministry of Finance to disburse funds for live television broadcasting rights, a move intended to facilitate the launch and successful conduct of the league. Furthermore, he ordered the finalization of procedures to allocate a plot of land to the Iraq Football Association for the construction of pitches and facilities dedicated to training youth age groups and national teams.
Additionally, the Prime Minister directed support for the "Olympic Champion" project—an initiative proposed by the Iraqi Olympic Committee—aimed at discovering and developing athletic talent, and preparing champions capable of representing Iraq on the international stage.
Prime Minister announces that Baghdad will host the 28th Arabian Gulf Cup
