GCC, OIC Chiefs Congratulate Saudi Arabia on Hosting 2027 Asian Cup

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal and the Saudi delegation are seen along with the Asian Nations Cup. Photo: Essa Doubisi
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal and the Saudi delegation are seen along with the Asian Nations Cup. Photo: Essa Doubisi
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GCC, OIC Chiefs Congratulate Saudi Arabia on Hosting 2027 Asian Cup

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal and the Saudi delegation are seen along with the Asian Nations Cup. Photo: Essa Doubisi
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal and the Saudi delegation are seen along with the Asian Nations Cup. Photo: Essa Doubisi

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi has congratulated Saudi Arabia on the Kingdom’s selection as host of the Asian Nations Cup 2027.

Albudaiwi expressed pride in the Kingdom, saying that hosting the Asian tournament is proof of Saudi Arabia’s ability to organize major international events.

He also hailed hosting the Asian Nations Cup in Saudi Arabia as another major event to be added to the list of achievements of the GCC countries.

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha, also congratulated the Kingdom.

He affirmed that Saudi Arabia is able to organize an exceptional and historic edition of the Asian Nations Cup because of its extensive experience and great potential to host international events, in accordance with Vision 2030.

The General Assembly of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Friday officially announced that Saudi Arabia won the bid to host the AFC Asian Cup 2027 for the first time in its history.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, the Minister of Sports and President of the Saudi Olympics and Paralympics Committee, extended his gratitude and appreciation to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for their unlimited support for the Kingdom's bid to host the event.

President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation Yasser Al-Misehal also praised the major support granted to the bid to host the tournament.



‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
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‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)

The Paris Olympics look likely to get off to a soggy start.

Meteo-France, the French weather service, is predicting “flooding rains” Friday evening when the opening ceremony is set to unroll along the Seine River. But the show is set to go on as planned, starting at 1:30 p.m. EDT/7:30 p.m. CEST and should last more than three hours.

Already in the late afternoon, skies were gray with intermittent drizzle. There was a silver lining, though, with temperatures expected to stay relatively warm throughout the evening.

Instead of a traditional march into a stadium, about 6,800 athletes will parade on more than 90 boats on the Seine River for 6 kilometers (3.7 miles). Though 10,700 athletes are expected to compete at these Olympics, hundreds of soccer players are based outside Paris, surfers are in Tahiti and many have yet to arrive for their events in the second week, organizers said Thursday.

Hundreds of thousands of people, including 320,000 paying and invited ticket-holders, are expected to line the Seine’s banks as athletes are paraded along the river on boats.