Competition schedule for 4th GCC Games – Doha 2026 taking place from 11 - 22 May 2026 unveiled
The Organizing Committee of the 4th GCC Games – Doha 2026 has officially approved the competition schedule for the event, set to commence on 11 May, with broad participation from national teams representing all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
Athletes competing in the fourth edition will take part in 17 diverse sports: handball, table tennis, athletics, padel, fencing, boxing, taekwondo, karate, swimming, billiards, snooker, 3x3 basketball, shooting, archery, volleyball, equestrian, and bowling. Competitions will be staged across 10 state-of-the-art venues, including Aspire Dome, the Women’s Sports Hall, Hamad Aquatic Centre, Qatar Sports Club, the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall, Al Gharafa Sports Club, Lusail Shooting Range, Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, Qatar Bowling Federation Hall, and Duhail Sports Hall.
Swimming events will kick off on 12 May at the Hamad Aquatic Centre and run for four days, alongside the start of 3x3 basketball competitions at Al Gharafa Sports Club for two days. Aspire Dome will host taekwondo events over two days, in addition to table tennis competitions continuing until 17 May at the same venue. Meanwhile, billiards competitions will run until 15 May at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall, while bowling events at the Qatar Bowling Centre will continue through 17 May.
On 13 May, equestrian events will begin at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club and continue until 15 May. Aspire Dome will also host fencing competitions over three days and boxing over two days, while shooting events at Lusail Range will run until 20 May.
Athletics competitions will commence on 14 May at Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium at Qatar Sports Club and continue for four days. Handball events will also begin at Duhail Sports Hall, running through to the final day on 22 May.
Snooker competitions will take place from May 15 to 19, while volleyball events will run from 16 to 19 May at the Women’s Sports Hall. Padel competitions at Aspire Dome will continue until 20 May.
Archery events will begin on 17 May at Lusail Shooting Range and run until 21 May, while karate competitions will be held on 21 May at Aspire Dome for one day.
Historically, the inaugural GCC Games were held in Manama, Bahrain, from 11 to 22 October 2011, featuring around 1,500 athletes from six nations competing in 11 sports. Qatar finished third with 20 medals (7 gold, 11 silver, 2 bronze).
The second edition took place in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, from 12 to 26 October 2015, with five participating nations and nearly 1,500 athletes competing in 15 sports. Qatar again secured third place with 59 medals (21 gold, 22 silver, 16 bronze).
The third edition was hosted by Kuwait from 16 to 31 May 2022, featuring over 1,500 athletes competing in 16 sports. Qatar placed fifth with a total of 52 medals (16 gold, 21 silver, 15 bronze).
