Media Releases

Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation and ICSS establish cooperation to strengthen the protection of sport in the Gulf Region

Acknowledging that safety, security, and integrity are essential elements of football, the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF) and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) have signed a Cooperation Agreement on developing joint programmes to safeguard sport in the Gulf Region.

The agreement will give initial priority to the security preparations of future Arab Gulf Cups, to the provision of risk assessment and risk mitigation strategies, and the promotion of models to strengthen different forms of multisectoral cooperation within the region.

The joint initiative will also explore the areas of compliance, tactical and operational planning, asset protection, and a broad gamut of cutting-edge solutions to support AGCFF members in their efforts to prepare and protect the Arab Gulf Cup as an event of common interest.

Jassim Al Rumaihi, Secretary-General, AGCFF said;

“It is our pleasure to establish this cooperation with ICSS, who has been a trusted partner of AFC in providing safety and security advisory initiatives for regional football. Together, we can work on the Arab Gulf Cup and all future AGCFF competitions, and further support our mission to continuously improve the game of football and to promote it in the countries of the Members’ Associations, in light of the unifying and collective educational, cultural, and humanitarian values shared in the region.”

Massimiliano Montanari, CEO, ICSS said;

“Major sporting events have a unique capacity to bring people and nations together and the Arab Gulf Cup is one of the most extraordinary examples of such a power. We are extremely pleased to enter this joint effort with AGCFF and to launch it on a memorable day like the 9th of November, which reminds us of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

We will merge our respective expertise to support the preparation of the future editions of the Arab Gulf Cup while preserving and promoting their legacy and unifying power of football.”