Emirati fans travelling to Saudi Arabia for the 22nd Gulf Cup should be the most well-dressed and well-tended at the event, after the UAE Football Association set up a committee to address their every need, including travel, transportation and ticketing.
Five jets have been chartered by the telecom provider Etisalat, an FA sponsor, to carry hundreds of fans to and from Saudi Arabia.
Read more: Everything you need to know about the 2014 Gulf Cup of Nations
Ten thousand flags, scarves and hats will be provided to fans who make the journey to Riyadh on Friday for the UAE’s opening match against Oman at the 22,500-capacity Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium.
The FA over the weekend met with 40 leading members of fan clubs across the emirates, to put the final touches on the travel plans.
The coordinator for UAE supporters at the FA, Sami Al Hamour, said preparations to receive fans in Saudi Arabia have been completed, and predicted that the process will be carried out more efficiently than at last year’s Gulf Cup in Bahrain, when a similar fan plan was used.
“Teams of assistants will be available around the clock at Dubai International Airport and King Fahd Airport to meet the supporters and help with their procedures,” Al Hamour said.
Prior to the 6.45pm kick off, an FA team will distribute the fan paraphernalia to those in attendance, whether arriving by plane or car. According to Al Hamour, there will be a doctor on the sponsored flights after an agreement was struck between the FA and the Ministry of Health. Medical aid will also be available to fans during the matches.
So far, in addition to those travelling on the sponsored flights, another 400 fans have registered at the FA offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to travel for the first match.
akhaled@thenational.ae
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