Staff Reporter
Doha: The 4th GCC Games Doha 2026 will officially get underway on Monday at Al Shaqab Arena, with Qatar set to host one of the region’s biggest and most prestigious multi-sport events from May 11 to 22.
The opening ceremony is expected to bring together presidents and secretaries-general of National Olympic Committees, senior sports officials and participating delegations from across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
The ceremony will feature a rich cultural programme highlighted by a special operetta titled One Gulf, One Heart, celebrating Gulf unity, solidarity and shared identity among GCC nations.
Hosting the Games reflects the vision of Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the 4th GCC Games Doha 2026, to deliver a tournament that strengthens Gulf sporting ties while reinforcing Qatar’s standing as a leading destination for regional and international sporting events.
More than 1,000 male and female athletes representing the six GCC nations will compete across 17 sports, including handball, athletics, table tennis, padel, fencing, boxing, taekwondo, karate, swimming, billiards, snooker, 3×3 basketball, shooting, archery, volleyball, equestrian and bowling.
Women athletes will feature prominently in events such as 3×3 basketball, athletics, padel, taekwondo, fencing, shooting and archery.
Host nation Qatar will field a delegation of 300 male and female athletes competing in all disciplines featured at the Games.
Competitions will officially begin on Tuesday, with swimming events taking place at Hamad Aquatic Centre and 3×3 basketball matches at Al Gharafa Club Hall.
Taekwondo and table tennis competitions will be staged at Aspire Dome, while billiards events will be hosted at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall and bowling competitions at Qatar Bowling Center.
Equestrian competitions will commence on Wednesday at Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club alongside fencing and boxing events at Aspire Dome. Shooting competitions will also begin at Lusail Shooting Range.
Athletics events are scheduled to start on Thursday at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium, while handball matches will take place at Duhail Sports Hall.
Snooker competitions will begin on Friday at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall, while volleyball and padel events are set to start next Saturday at the Women’s Sports Hall and Aspire Dome respectively.
Archery competitions will commence next Sunday at Lusail Shooting Range, while karate events will be held on May 21 at Aspire Dome, one day before the conclusion of the Games.
Historically, Kuwait topped the medal standings at the inaugural GCC Games held in Bahrain in 2011 with 48 medals, including 27 gold medals. Saudi Arabia dominated the second edition in Dammam in 2015 with 115 medals, while Kuwait once again finished first at the third edition hosted in 2022 with 96 medals.
The Doha edition is expected to further strengthen Gulf sporting cooperation and showcase Qatar’s world-class sporting infrastructure and organisational capabilities in hosting major international events.
