Rabat – Moroccan international referee Jalal Jayed has been appointed to officiate the Gulf Cup 27 final between hosts Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, October 6, at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.
The Gulf Football Federation’s Referees Committee confirmed Jayed’s appointment on Monday, with fellow Moroccans Zakaria Brinsi and Mostapha Akarkad named as assistant referees.
Kuwaiti referee Abdullah Jamali will serve as the fourth official, while his compatriot Saud Al-Shamali has been appointed fifth official.
Morocco will also be represented in the video assistant referee team, with Hamza El Fariq taking charge of VAR. Dutch official Erwin Blank and Bahrain’s Ismail Habib will assist him, while Oman’s Ibrahim Al-Hosani will serve as referee assessor.
Another major assignment for Jayed
The appointment adds another high-profile fixture to Jayed’s growing international refereeing record.
The Moroccan official was selected by FIFA for the 2026 World Cup, where he refereed group-stage matches including Germany-Curaçao and Portugal-Uzbekistan. He remained among the officials retained until the closing stages of the tournament and was later appointed fourth official for the third-place playoff between France and England.
Jayed has been an international referee since 2019 and was the only Moroccan central referee selected among the match officials for this summer’s World Cup.
Saudi Arabia and UAE battle for Gulf title
Saudi Arabia reached Tuesday’s final after eliminating reigning Asian champions Qatar 3-2 in a penalty shootout following a goalless 120 minutes in their semifinal.
The UAE secured their place with a 1-0 victory over Oman, with Ousmane Camara scoring the decisive goal. The result sent the Emiratis into their first Gulf Cup final since 2018 as they pursue a third title after previous triumphs in 2007 and 2013.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, will have home advantage as they attempt to end a Gulf Cup title drought stretching back more than two decades.
The tournament, officially known as Khaleeji Arabian Dyar 27, has been taking place in Jeddah since September 23 and concludes with Tuesday’s final.
