The Gulf Cup is distinctly centred- pride between neighbouring nations on the line. As with all things with the Arabian Gulf, however, the scope of its influence reaches further all the time.
Khaleej 22 does not have official FIFA recognition but this did not stop top boss Sepp Blatter from taking his seat in the VIP section at the King Fahd International Stadium for the opener between hosts Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The Swiss supremo hotfooted it to Riyadh for a two-day trip fresh from the release of his organisation's report into the bidding process for the 2022 World Cup. This again placed the region at the heart of things, Qatar's conduct deemed clean following a lengthy investigation into alleged corruption.
His arrival swept through the main media centre located off the lively Olaya Road, coinciding with UAE coach Mahdi Ali's pre-match press conference ahead of the holder's clash with Oman on Friday.
The path to putting on the globe's highest-profile international football tournament is being detailed by claim and counter-claim about the Qataris and Blatter.
Whether the master autocrat experienced as many bumps on the way to the impressive King Fahd is debatable.
Riyadh's already hectic streets have been made unbearable by work to implement a metro system. The Saudi capital heaves and strains attempting to keep hundreds of thousands of cars flowing.
Located on the far east of the city, the journey involves high-speeds, frustrating standstills, sparing use of indicators and the closing of eyes for any passenger. Lanes are a loose term here, drivers fighting for space as they switch across with frequency.
The organised chaos was made worse by the supporters streaming from the packed centre to the King Fahd.
To be in the ground was to see the Arabian Gulf at its most diverse, flags from all four countries playing on Thursday night on show.
The opening ceremony boosted the excitement, kaleidoscopic lights channeling out from a large inflatable in the centre circle. Green laser beams cut through the enveloping night, while traditional music played.
After 45 minutes of entertainment, the lights came back on to reveal the Saudi Arabia and Qatar players warming up on the pitch. The main course was almost ready to be served.
Juan Ramon Lopez Caro's men got off to an uncertain start in front of the often impatient home support, a wayward second half contributing to a 1-1 draw against injury-struck Qatar.
The post-match press conference inside the sizeable auditorium deep in the King Fahd was uncomfortable, a mutual dislike between the Saudi media and Spaniard all too apparent.
Yemen are the lowest-ranked and least fancied side in the competition but this didn't stop their supporters being a huge presence. One stand was overtaken by giant flags and banners.
Coach Miroslav Soukup's team also punched above their weight on the pitch, claiming a 0-0 draw with Bahrain. A deserved winner from Al-Yemen A'Sa'eed would have rocked this esteemed arena to the ground.
