The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, announced the opening of the Arabian Gulf Football Cup "Gulf 24".
The prince gave the tournament the starting point at Khalifa Stadium in the Qatari capital Doha, during a heritage ceremony that witnessed various paintings reflecting the region's heritage and culture.
The tournament begins with a strong confrontation between Qatar and Iraq, in the opening of the first group matches, which also includes the UAE and Yemen, who meet later today.
The tournament will last until the eighth of next month, and will see the participation of all Gulf teams after the retreat of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain from the decision to boycott.
Group B, which takes place at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium at Al Duhail, will see Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman compete.