Dubai, United Arab Emirates: : Ahmed Khalil Al-Abbasi, Executive Director of Competitions and Football Development at the Qatar Stars League, participated in the second meeting of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Competitions Committee for the 2023 to 2027 term. The committee discussed several strategic matters with the aim of further enhancing the AFC competitions at its second meeting held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The Committee, chaired by Chairperson Dr Tran Quoc Tuan, deliberated carefully on the future of the AFC Solidarity Cup, which was cancelled in 2020 owing to the pandemic, with the next edition originally slated for 2024. The Committee noted that the revamped qualification format for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ meant that more participating Member Associations, particularly the lower-ranked teams, now have more exposure and opportunities to compete in top-level matches over a more extended period. Simultaneously, the Committee also consented to allow Brunei DPMM FC to play in the Singapore Premier League and Singapore Cup in the 2024/2025 season, with the matter to be referred to FIFA for final approval. Afterwards, Committee members met with the AFC Professional Football Taskforce, where the discussion revolved around the strategic changes to the AFC Competitions. All decisions will need to be ratified by the AFC Executive Committee to take effect.