The Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation announced that the draw for the third edition of the Gulf Clubs Champions League will take place on September 9th. The tournament is scheduled to be held from October 13th to April 30th.

12 clubs for the first time

The Arab Gulf Cup Federation also determined the allocation mechanism for the slots in the upcoming edition, which will feature 12 clubs for the first time instead of eight. This allocation will be based on the national federations' rankings according to the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) rankings for the 2026-2027 season.

According to the rankings, the UAE Football Association is in First Tier alongside the Saudi, Qatari, and Iraqi federations, each receiving two slots in the tournament. Second Tier includes the Omani, Bahraini, Kuwaiti, and Yemeni federations, each receiving one slot. The federation also invited national associations to nominate the clubs that will represent them in the next edition.

The Gulf Federation stressed that the nominated clubs must be among the highest-ranked clubs in their domestic league, after the clubs participating in AFC competitions for the same season.