DUBAI: The draw for the second Gulf Football Federation U-17 Gulf Cup will take place at the federation’s headquarters in Doha on Thursday. Qatar will host the competition from Oct. 16 to Nov. 4. Ten teams will participate, two more than at the inaugural event last year. The eight members of the Gulf Football Federation — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and Yemen — will be joined this time by Egypt and China. The aim of the expansion, organizers said, was to provide the young participants with an opportunity to compete in a stronger and more diverse competition, enhance their technical skills and competitive experience and help them better prepare for other international tournaments, most notably the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026 in November and December. Saudi Arabia claimed the tournament title last year with a 2-0 victory over the UAE in the final.