An emotional apology to the people of the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah has brought an end to the first crisis of the 27th edition of the Arabian Gulf Cup, “Gulf 27”.
The Gulf 27 tournament kicked off in Jeddah on Wednesday, with eight national teams taking part. It runs until the final on 6 October.
Just hours before the opening, a major crisis erupted over remarks made by Qatar’s Jassim Al-Rumaihi, the Secretary General of the Gulf Football Cup Union, concerning the people of Jeddah.
It all began on Tuesday, when Al-Rumaihi answered a Saudi journalist’s question about high ticket prices by saying the prices might be expensive for him as one of the people of Jeddah.
Facing fierce criticism from fans and Saudi football legends, Al-Rumaihi returned on Wednesday to apologise, stressing that he had never meant to cause any offence.
Speaking to “Nabd Tuwaiq”, the Secretary General of the Gulf Union said Saudi Arabia holds a special place in his heart, especially the city of Jeddah. He described its people as generous folk whose kindness is bestowed upon everyone.
Al-Rumaihi repeated his apology to the people of Jeddah and Saudi Arabia, urging that his remarks not be misunderstood and insisting he had not meant what people took from them.
Jeddah becomes the third non-capital city to host the Arabian Gulf Cup, following Aden in Yemen and Basra in Iraq.
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