President of the Olympic Council of Asia and Qatar Olympic Committee H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani speaks during the opening ceremony.
Doha, Qatar: The fourth edition of the GCC Games Doha 2026 burst into life with a spectacular opening ceremony at the world-class Al Shaqab Indoor Arena yesterday, where vibrant performances lit up the night in a colourful celebration of regional unity.
President of the Olympic Council of Asia and Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, also the Chairman of the Organising Committee of the GCC Games Doha 2026, officially declared the multi-sport event open.
The opening ceremony was attended by a number of Their Highnesses and Excellencies, Ministers, Presidents of the GCC Olympic committees, and senior sports officials, including HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee; H H Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee; Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, President of the Kuwait Olympic Committee; H H Sayyid Azzan bin Qais Al Said, President of the Oman Olympic Committee; and Sheikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, Vice President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, alongside a number of GCC sports leaders.
The ceremony was also attended by Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, Second Vice President of the Qatar Olympic Committee; Jassim bin Rashid Al-Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Games; and Sheikh Khalifa bin Khalid Al Thani, Director of the Sports Affairs Sector at the Qatar Olympic Committee and Director General of the Organizing Committee of the Games.
Set against a visually striking production blending sport, culture and heritage, the 30-minute show kept spectators enthralled from start to finish, as the spirit of the Gulf was brought alive through artistic displays and powerful staging.
Artists perform during the opening ceremony.
The ceremony was driven by striking visual storytelling and layered symbolism, all centred on the idea of unity and shared identity among the GCC nations. One of the standout moments of the night was the operetta “One Gulf, One Heart”, which paid tribute to the deep-rooted solidarity and common heritage binding the GCC countries together.
The production was conceived, written and composed by Faisal Ibrahim Al-Tamimi, and brought to life through a blend of musical and theatrical performances that captured the essence of Gulf brotherhood and collective identity.
With competition beginning today and running until May 22, as many as 1,400 male and female athletes from the six GCC nations will battle for honours across 17 disciplines, setting the stage for an intense and action-packed fortnight of sport.
“Doha is proud to host this fourth edition of the GCC Games, bringing together athletes and friends from across our region. At a time when the world faces many challenges and uncertainties, these Games reaffirm the important role sport can play in strengthening dialogue, cooperation and understanding between peoples. Sport continues to be one of the strongest platforms for unity and optimism across the Gulf region. We witnessed this clearly during the Asian Beach Games Sanya 2026, where all 45 National Olympic Committees of Asia came together in a remarkable celebration of sport and friendship,” said Sheikh Joaan.
“In Qatar, we strongly believe in the power of sport to build healthier, more connected and more united societies. Over the past two decades, Qatar has welcomed athletes, fans and delegations from around the world and hosted more than 20 World Championships. This legacy, which dates back to the Doha 2006 Asian Games, has provided us with world-class venues and expertise that today serve the ambitions of athletes from across the Gulf. We extend our appreciation to the GCC Federations, partners and organisers for their support of this event, and to every athlete competing in Doha 2026 — we wish them success in showcasing the true spirit of Gulf sport.”
The GCC nations will battle for honours across 17 disciplines during Doha 2026.
QOC Secretary-General and Vice-Chairman of the Organising Committee Al-Buenain said Doha’s hosting of the Games reflects Qatar’s ongoing commitment to Gulf sport and strengthening cooperation among GCC nations.
Chairman of the Sports Committee of the Games Mohammed Issa Al-Fadala said, “We witnessed an exceptional ceremony that conveyed the message of unity and shared destiny among the peoples of the Gulf, while reflecting Qatar’s outstanding organisational capabilities in hosting major sporting events.
Athletes will battle for medals in including handball, table tennis, athletics, padel, fencing, boxing, taekwondo, karate, swimming, billiards, snooker, 3x3 basketball, shooting, archery, volleyball, equestrian and bowling at 10 venues.
Hosts Qatar eye medals, set to begin campaign
Qatar will begin campaign today with home athletes stepping into action across multiple sports with competition across multiple venues.
With the opening rounds set to take place at the Hamad Aquatic Centre, Al Gharafa Sports Club and the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall, home athletes will look to make an early impact at the regional sports fiesta. Several other sports will also launch begin their rounds today, marking the start of a packed sport schedule.
The swimming competitions kick off at the Hamad Aquatic Centre, where Qatar swimmers Saadeddin Saadeddin, Mohamed Mohamed and Emile Fouzai will begin their campaigns in the men’s events.
Saadeddin will compete in the men’s 800m freestyle heat, Mohamed Mohamed will line up in the 200m individual medley, while Emile Fouzai is entered in the 200m butterfly event. At the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall, star cueist Ali Al Obaidali will compete in the men’s 10-ball singles competition.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s men’s and women’s 3x3 basketball teams will begin their Pool A campaigns at Al Gharafa Club Hall with several games scheduled for today.
The Qatar women’s team will face Oman before taking on Kuwait later in the day, while the men’s side will meet the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait in successive Pool A fixtures.
Other events taking place today include men’s and women’s taekwondo preliminaries at Aspire Dome, table tennis men’s and women’s team qualification matches, and the men’s bowling singles competition at the Qatar Bowling Center.
The multi-sport event will continue with more and more sports disciplines joining the line-up over the coming days, with equestrian, fencing, boxing and shooting competitions scheduled to begin tomorrow, before Athletics and handball events start on Thursday. Volleyball, padel, snooker, archery and karate competitions will follow later in the programme at venues across Doha.
