Soccer-UAE fans snap up Jeddah flights within minutes ahead of Gulf Cup Final

Soccer Football - Gulf Cup - Semi Final - United Arab Emirates v Oman - Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - October 3, 2026 United Arab Emirates fans REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Oct ⁠4 (Reuters) - UAE supporters have provided an early taste of Gulf ⁠Cup final fever, snapping up seats on six charter ‌flights to Jeddah in less than 10 minutes as excitement builds for Tuesday's title clash against Saudi Arabia.

The rush began shortly after the UAE Football Association opened ​registration for fans wishing to travel to ⁠the Gulf Cup final, turning ⁠what was meant to be a routine booking process into a ⁠frantic ‌race for seats.

The association had arranged six aircraft to transport supporters to Saudi Arabia after the national team's qualification ⁠for the final, hoping to ensure a strong Emirati ​presence in the ‌stands. Local media reported that all available seats were taken ⁠within minutes ​of registration opening at 1 p.m. UAE time.

The surge in demand came a day after the UAE defeated Oman 1-0 in Jeddah to reach ⁠its first Gulf Cup final since 2018, ​reigniting hopes of ending a 13-year wait for regional glory.

The UAE will face Saudi Arabia, who beat Asian champions Qatar in a penalty ⁠shootout, in Jeddah on Tuesday as they seek to win the Gulf Cup title for a third time following their triumphs in 2007 and 2013. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, are bidding to end a ​nearly 22-year wait for a Gulf Cup ⁠title.

With every seat claimed almost as soon as it became available, the ​rapid sellout offered an early indication of ‌the atmosphere expected at King Abdullah ​Sports City on Tuesday, where a sizeable contingent of Emirati supporters is expected.

(Reporting Ashraf Hamed AttaEditing by Toby Davis)

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足球 - 海湾杯 - 半决赛 - 阿联酋对阵阿曼 - 沙特阿拉伯吉达阿卜杜拉·费萨尔王子体育场 - 2026年10月3日 阿联酋球迷 路透社/伊布拉希姆·阿布·穆斯塔法

10 月 4 日（路透社）——随着周二与沙特阿拉伯的冠军争夺战临近，阿联酋球迷提前感受到了海湾杯决赛的狂热气氛，在不到 10 分钟的时间里，他们抢购了六架飞往吉达的包机座位。

阿联酋足球协会开放前往海湾杯决赛的球迷注册后不久，抢票热潮就开始了，原本例行的预订过程变成了疯狂的抢票大战。

国家队晋级决赛后，协会安排了六架飞机运送球迷前往沙特阿拉伯，希望确保现场有足够多的阿联酋球迷。当地媒体报道称，阿联酋时间下午1点开始注册后，所有座位在几分钟内就被抢购一空。

在阿联酋于吉达以 1-0 击败阿曼，自 2018 年以来首次晋级海湾杯决赛的第二天，需求激增，重新燃起了结束长达 13 年的地区荣耀等待的希望。

阿联酋将于周二在吉达迎战沙特阿拉伯，后者在点球大战中击败了亚洲冠军卡塔尔。阿联酋力争继2007年和2013年之后第三次赢得海湾杯冠军。与此同时，沙特阿拉伯则渴望结束近22年来对海湾杯冠军的漫长等待。

几乎每个座位一开放就被抢购一空，迅速售罄的局面预示着周二在阿卜杜拉国王体育城将会有多么热烈的气氛，届时预计将有大量的阿联酋球迷到场观赛。

（阿什拉夫·哈米德·阿塔报道，托比·戴维斯编辑）

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