Iraq surprises GCC citizens upon 25th Gulf Cup
Flags of countries participating in the 25th Gulf Cup championship displayed in Basra. Photo: Getty Images
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Governor of Basra, Asaad Al-Eidani, announced that the Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, directed to allow citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to enter Iraq without obtaining an entry visa, on the occasion of the 25th Gulf Cup championship.
Al-Eidani added that the Prime Minister’s directive will continue to be valid until after the 25th Gulf Cup championship, until further notice, and that it is an opportunity for GCC citizens to enter Iraq.
This procedure is taking place for the first time since 2003.
The 25th version of the Arabian Gulf Cup is held between January 6 and January 19, 2023, in the Al-Menaa Olympic Stadium and Basra International Stadium, in the southern Iraqi city of Basra.
The tournament is held with the participation of eight teams divided into two groups. The first group includes Iraq, Oman, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, while the second group includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.
The Arabian Gulf Cup was launched in 1970 and is organized every two years. The first edition was held in Bahrain in 1970 and the recent one in Qatar in 2019.
Iraq is hosting the tournament for the second time in its history after the first in 1979, when it hosted the fifth edition in the capital, Baghdad, at the Al-Shaab International Stadium, and was crowned with its title.