Abu Dhabi Media’s Abu Dhabi Sports Channels announced today that it has won the broadcasting rights for the Arab Football Clubs Championship, which opens today in Cairo, and that the championship will be on its free to air channels for its viewers in the Arab region.

Twelve of the most notorious and celebrated Arab clubs representing nine countries will compete in three strong and balanced groups for the chance to win two million five hundred thousand US Dollars for the first place, six hundred thousand dollars for the second place, and twenty five thousand dollars for the third place.

Abu Dhabi Sports Channels have devoted a series of exclusive shows and episodes to cover the tournament, starting with "Al Arab Al Youm” (“Arabs Today"), which will take the viewers every day for a two hours tour to all sites of the tournament to show the preparations of the clubs from all technical, administrative, media and public aspects, along with interviews and statements from the most influential figures in the tournament. The show will be followed by “Studio Al Arab” ("Arab Studio") which will provide technical analysis of all the matches by an array of football analysts and professionals from the Arab world, and will be in direct contact with a team of correspondents reporting from various fields of the tournament.

Mr. Yaqoub Al Saadi, Head of Abu Dhabi Sports Channels, confirmed the completion of the technical preparations to provide comprehensive, highly professional and objective coverage of the tournament, using state of the art broadcasting technologies, given the high numbers of spectators and followers of this major football events, exploiting the channel’s past experience covering major regional and international events and competitions. 

Al Saadi pointed out that the tournament will be broadcast free of charge on open channels in line with the channel’s endeavors to provide unique media and TV services and content to Arab football fans, so they can watch live the preparations of their best clubs and their journey to compete for the title of one of the most popular sports tournaments in the Arab world. Al Saadi stressed that Abu Dhabi Sports will be in the middle of the championship’s action and will cover the Arab Football Federation and the organizing committee’s throughout various stages of preparation starting from the announcement until the draw.

The first group games will kick off at Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo. The group includes the Algerian Nasr Hussain Club, the UAE’s Al Wahda Club, Jordan’s Al-Faisali and Egypt’s Al Ahli. The second group, which will be competing at the Borg Al-Arab stadium in Alexandria, includes the Saudi Al-Nasr Club, the Egyptian El Zamalek, the Moroccan Fath Union Sport Club and the Lebanese Al Ahd Club. The third group which will have its games held on the Alexandria Stadium, includes the Saudi Al Helal, the Sudanese Al Marrikh, the Tunisian Espérance Sportive de Tunis and the Iraqi Naft Al Wasat Sports Club. The winner of each group along with the best second place will qualify to the final round.