Anger as Fifa replaces Arab Gulf with 'Persian Gulf'

Fifa, the international governing body of football, has replaced the name of the Arabian Gulf on its official website with 'Persian Gulf', triggering protests by regional clubs.

The new name appeared in the “country information” section on the website of the Zurich-based Fédération Internationale de Football Association. In the section about the UAE, the country’s neighboring seas and oceans are 'Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman'.

“Some sports clubs and football players in the Gulf have called on officials in the region’s football associations to present a formal protest to FIFA about such a move,” the Saudi Arabic language daily Alsaudeh said.