Gulf Cup 27 player of the tournament to receive housing unit

The player named the outstanding performer of the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup will receive a housing unit as an exceptional prize, with the winner to be announced immediately after Tuesday’s final between Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

The final will be played at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, where Saudi Arabia face United Arab Emirates for the title.

The Arabian Gulf Football Federation confirmed the individual award only hours before kick-off. It also announced that the prize would be named after Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, recognising his contribution to Gulf sport and his historic role in the idea that led to the creation of the Arabian Gulf Cup.

In a statement, the federation said: “The Arabian Gulf Football Federation announces that the award for the best player in the Khaleeji Al-Diyar Al-Arabia 27 tournament will be named after His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Adviser to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Governor of Makkah Region, in recognition of His Highness’s contributions to the development of Gulf sport and the association of his name with the history of the Arabian Gulf Cup since its launch.”

The federation said the decision reflected Prince Khalid Al-Faisal’s importance to the competition’s origins.

“Prince Khalid Al-Faisal is regarded as the founder of the idea to stage the Arabian Gulf Cup football tournament,” it added. “He put forward the proposal in 1968, when he was director general of the General Presidency for Youth Welfare. The idea later became a reality when the first edition was held in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 1970.

“The tournament has continued for more than five decades, becoming one of the most prominent sporting occasions bringing together the people of the Gulf states.”

The federation explained that naming the best-player award after Prince Khalid Al-Faisal was proposed by Al-Diyar Al-Arabia, the tournament’s official sponsor, and approved by the Arabian Gulf Football Federation.

“The player who wins the award will receive a housing unit provided by Al-Diyar Al-Arabia, in recognition of his outstanding performances during the tournament,” the statement said.

The winner of the Prince Khalid Al-Faisal award will be revealed after the final, during the ceremony celebrating the champions and recognising the recipients of the individual awards.

The Arabian Gulf Football Federation also published the announcement on 6 October 2026, confirming that the award’s winner would be named once the Saudi Arabia v United Arab Emirates final had concluded.