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Daily Tribune
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain Defeat Slovenian Club 3-1 in Friendly Win
TDT | Manama Bahrain's national football team won over 3-1 Slovenian club NK Sobec Lesce in a friendly match held in Maribor, Slovenia, as part of their overseas training camp. Omar Saber opened the scoring in the 21st minute, before substitute Hussain Abdulkarim doubled the lead in the 61st. Abdulla Al Subaie sealed the result with a late strike in stoppage time. The match was Bahrain's second friendly of the camp, following a 1-3 loss to Croatia's NK Istra 1961. Their final test will be against Slovenian First League side NK Primorje on Tuesday. Coach Dragan Talajic fielded a completely rotated starting lineup, showing depth across the 28-man squad as they prepare for November's FIFA Arab Cup qualifier against Djibouti. A win there would place Bahrain in Group D of the December finals in Qatar alongside Algeria, Iraq, and Lebanon or Sudan.
Daily Tribune
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain name 28-man squad for Slovenia camp
Bahrain have announced a 28-man squad for their upcoming training camp in Slovenia, set to run from July 10 to July 24. Bahrain are coming off a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign where they finished bottom of their group. The camp will include multiple training sessions and friendly fixtures as Bahrain gear up for upcoming challenges under the direction of head coach Dragan Talajic. That includes building towards the FIFA Arab Cup, which takes place from December 1–18 in Qatar, across six FIFA World Cup venues. Mohamed Marhoon will miss the camp after finalising a move to Kuwait SC, signing a threeyear deal with the Kuwaiti Premier League club.
Arab News
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Arab storytelling tradition makes region ideal for filmmaking: Katara executive
Riyadh: The Arab world's roots in detailed storytelling means that the region is well suited to making movies, according to Hussein Fakhri, chief commercial officer and executive producer for Katara Studios, and the latest guest on The Mayman Show. Founded in 2018, the Doha-based production powerhouse is behind regionally iconic projects such as the fantasy short film 'The Lost Chapter of Kelileh & Demneh' and the ceremonies for the 2022 FIFA Arab Cup. 'Storytelling, I think, is in our DNA, as Arabs generally, right? We come from a long line of storytellers; it is really part of who we are,' Fakhri said. 'For me, the sort of career advancement was very much evolutionary, organic, as I come from an advertising and marketing background.' Before entering the world of filmmaking and immersive storytelling, Hussein started out in Dublin, Ireland, pioneering digital advertising in a market far from his cultural roots. Hussein left the marketing agency life and now leads Katara's mission to produce bold, meaningful stories that resonate with a global audience with an unapologetically Arab perspective. 'I had my own advertising agency, and we had so much work that I had to found a film production company to be able to shoot our TV commercials,' Fakhri said. 'I would hire filmmakers, and we started doing short films, more brand films and documentaries, and that just sort of evolved. I just love the craft, although I'm not a filmmaker myself, but I just love the business of it.' Part of the work was instrumental in what eventually evolved into Katara Studios, founded by a group of talented filmmakers, he said. 'Watching them work and watching the kind of stuff that they do — just the love for it grew, to be honest.' The need for premium Arabic content that resonates with a global audience is the main driver for what Katara does creatively, he said. 'We have a huge audience. We have 500 million Arabic speakers. And we have very little premium content for them. There was a gap there that was spotted and an opportunity to be able to create premium content for this primary audience.' The demand for premium Arabic content and the interest in Arabic culture made for a great recipe for success, he said. 'We also have a lot of people around the world that are very interested in our culture, are very interested in our part of the world. And I don't think we've given them enough content to engage with us, and that's what we are trying to do, ultimately.' With a culture as rich and layered as the Arab world's, authenticity is not simply a goal — it is a responsibility for Katara Studios projects, he said, as they aim to bring stories to life with depth, accuracy, and heart, even when they are infused with other styles of filmmaking. Katara Studios is producing a fantasy Bedouin Western, and according to Fakhri, a balance for this genre experimentation and cultural authenticity is critical to telling a good story and being innovative without losing its Arab essence. Asked how Bedouin storytelling could be showcased with this approach to experimental filmmaking, Fakhri said: 'You know, I'm so glad you brought up that word because authenticity is the foundation for everything that we try to do. Genuinely, it has to be authentic. Because if it is not authentic — if you're trying to please an audience just by throwing stuff in there — it shows every time.' Authenticity required cultural integrity — such as maintaining dialect, accents, costumes and other small and important details in the presentation — and this would then reflect very positively to the film, he said. 'You get every element of it right; it really comes through in the final product. So, we're very careful to try to be as authentic as possible. And I think we've done that with this project,' Fakhri said.
Al Bawaba
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Al Bawaba
FIFA Arab Cup 2025: Complete Guide to Qatar's $36.5 Million Tournament
Qatar is gearing up to host the FIFA Arab Cup 2025, the most prestigious football event in the Arab world, following the tremendous success of the 2021 edition. This tournament will breathe new life into the World Cup stadiums that witnessed the 2022 global spectacle, bringing together the elite of Arab national teams in a fierce competition for the title and record-breaking prize money. Also Read FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 Official Awards Tournament Dates and Venues The FIFA Arab Cup 2025 will kick off on December 1 and run through December 18, 2025, featuring 18 days of high-level competition. Matches will be played across six Qatari stadiums that previously hosted the 2022 World Cup fixtures: Lusail Stadium : Qatar's largest venue with an 80,000-spectator capacity, which hosted the 2022 World Cup final. : Qatar's largest venue with an 80,000-spectator capacity, which hosted the 2022 World Cup final. Al Bayt Stadium : The distinctive venue inspired by traditional Arab tents, accommodating 60,000 fans. : The distinctive venue inspired by traditional Arab tents, accommodating 60,000 fans. Khalifa International Stadium : One of Qatar's most historic and iconic sporting venues, with a capacity of 45,000. : One of Qatar's most historic and iconic sporting venues, with a capacity of 45,000. Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium : Also known as Al Rayyan Stadium, holding 40,000 spectators. : Also known as Al Rayyan Stadium, holding 40,000 spectators. Stadium 974 : The unique, dismountable venue constructed from shipping containers, with a 40,000-seat capacity. : The unique, dismountable venue constructed from shipping containers, with a 40,000-seat capacity. Education City Stadium: Located in Doha's Education City, accommodating 40,000 fans. Participating Teams and Qualification Process The FIFA Arab Cup 2025 will feature 16 Arab national teams. Nine teams have already secured direct qualification based on their FIFA rankings: Qatar (Host Nation) Algeria Morocco Egypt Tunisia Saudi Arabia Iraq Jordan United Arab Emirates The remaining seven spots will be determined through qualifying matches scheduled for November 25–26, 2025 in Qatar, just days before the tournament begins. Other Arab nations will compete for these final seven berths in the championship. Record-Breaking Prize Money The FIFA Arab Cup 2025 stands out for its substantial financial rewards. The organizing committee has announced that the total prize money will exceed $36.5 million (approximately 132.9 million Qatari Riyals), a record figure that positions the tournament among major global competitions. This amount represents a significant increase compared to the previous edition held in 2021, which offered $25.5 million in prize money. This boost reflects the growing prominence of the tournament and the organizers' commitment to providing strong incentives for participating teams. Tournament Format and Groups The competition will follow a group stage format, with the 16 participating teams divided into four groups of four. Teams within each group will play against each other in a single round-robin format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals. The tournament will then proceed with a knockout system, featuring quarter-finals, semi-finals, and ultimately the final match that will determine the champion of the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup. Tournament Significance and History The Arab Cup is one of the oldest regional tournaments, with its first edition taking place in Lebanon in 1963. Since then, the competition has undergone various developments, culminating in FIFA taking over its organization starting with the 2021 edition, also held in Qatar, which saw Algeria crowned champions after defeating Tunisia in the final. The 2025 edition holds special significance as it follows Qatar's successful hosting of the 2022 World Cup, providing an opportunity to reuse the world-class facilities and stadiums while reinforcing the sporting legacy of the World Cup in the Arab region. Expectations and Aspirations As the tournament approaches, Arab teams are increasingly setting their sights on competing for the title and substantial prize money. Algeria enters as the defending champion and one of the favorites, alongside strong contenders such as Morocco, which made history at the 2022 World Cup, as well as Egypt, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and host nation Qatar. The tournament will serve as an ideal platform for Arab teams to test their capabilities and gain experience in a highly competitive environment, especially with matches taking place in world-class stadiums that recently hosted football's biggest global event.
Qatar Tribune
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar Football Association holds its 2025 General Assembly
Tribune News Network Doha The Qatar Football Association (QFA) held its 2025 General Assembly meeting on Monday at the Ritz-Carlton Doha. The session was chaired by His Excellency Jassim bin Rashid Al Buainain, President of the QFA, and attended by members of the Executive Committee, the General Secretary, club representatives, heads of departments, and local media. The meeting began with the confirmation of a legal quorum per the QFA statutes, followed by the adoption of the agenda. A short documentary highlighting the achievements of Qatar's national teams and clubs during the 2024–2025 season was screened. In his opening remarks, HE Al Buainain thanked club members for their efforts and collaboration in advancing developmental plans. He congratulated teams that secured titles last season and expressed optimism for others in the coming year. He also emphasized the national team's progress: 'The high level displayed by local clubs will significantly benefit our national teams, including youth squads—the backbone of our football future.' He wished success to new coach Lopetegui and called for unified support ahead of key matches against Iran and Uzbekistan. Additionally, HE Al Buainain highlighted Qatar's upcoming hosting of the FIFA U-17 World Cup and the FIFA Arab Cup in November and December, expressing confidence in delivering world-class events. He extended gratitude to sponsors, partners, and the media for their unwavering support. The Assembly reviewed several agenda items, including the approval of the previous year's minutes and the President's activity report. Financial statements, the annual budget, and auditor appointments were also ratified. Proposals from members and the Executive Committee were discussed, with closing remarks by the President.
