KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT : The draw for the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup, set to take place in Kuwait from December 21 to January 3, placed Qatar, the reigning Asian champions, in Group A alongside host nation Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman.   Group B features defending champions Iraq, along with powerhouse teams Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Yemen.   The draw ceremony, held on Saturday, was attended by prominent figures including His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, Qatar's Minister of Sports and Youth and President of the Arabian Gulf Cup Football Federation, and Kuwait’s Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi. Heads of the Gulf football federations, team representatives, retired players, and media personnel were also present. In tribute to the tournament’s rich history, coaches who previously led their national teams to Gulf Cup victories were honored. These included Iraq’s Amou Baba, Kuwait’s Saleh Zakaria, Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al-Kharashi and Nasser Al-Johar, and the UAE’s Mahdi Ali.   The ceremony featured a short documentary that celebrated memorable moments from past tournaments, with a spotlight on the 2023 edition held in Basra, Iraq. The event also unveiled the tournament mascot, “Hido,” a camel sporting Kuwait’s blue jersey.