Jalal Jayed appointed referee for Gulf 27 final

By James Mercer • 5 October 2026, 16:38 • Updated: 5 October 2026, 22:36 • 2 mins read

Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed will lead the crew for Tuesday's Gulf Al-Diyar Al-Arabiya 27 final between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The match is set for Jeddah, with officials from several countries assigned to on-field and VAR duties.

Kick-off is scheduled for 21:00 Saudi time on 6 October, or 22:00 in the UAE. CNN Arabic and YSScores reported the start time.

The final between Saudi Arabia and the UAE will be played at Al Inma / King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. Sports publications confirmed on 5 October that Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed will lead the officiating team. Emarat Al Youm and Al Riyadiyah were among them. Jayed will take charge.

The Jeddah final is described by Elbotola and Al Yaum as the first major appointment of a Moroccan officiating crew to a deciding match in this edition of the tournament.

Jayed's assistants will be compatriots Zakaria Brinsi and Mostafa Akerkad. Kuwaiti officials Abdullah Jamali and Saud Al Shammali will serve as the fourth and fifth officials. Morocco's Hamza Al Farq will handle VAR, with Dutch official Erwin Blank and Bahrain's Ismail Habib as assistants. Oman's Ibrahim Al Hosni will serve as referee assessor. Al Yaum reported the crew appointments. Five countries are represented.

Jeddah's final falls during a month with a broad calendar of sporting and live events. A Dubai October events roundup covers part of that wider schedule.

Emarat Al Youm reported that Jayed had already officiated the UAE-Qatar group match and Kuwait-Iraq, which Iraq won 3-2. Al Riyadiyah gives his age as 39 and his date of birth as 23 March 1987.

Emarat Al Youm and Al Riyadiyah

Jayed and his Moroccan colleagues will handle the central on-field and video roles. Officials from Kuwait, the Netherlands, Bahrain and Oman have separate assignments. Each role is assigned.

Topics: #UAE National Football Team #Arabian Gulf Cup

UAE CUE Sports Desk

James Mercer

James Mercer is the Founder, Owner, Publisher and Managing Director of UAE CUE Sports, where he oversees editorial direction and the publication's development across the Emirates. He writes about UAE sport, sports media, major events, venues, sports business and the wider relationship between participation, audiences and the country's sporting industry.