A revolutionary online system is set to replace paper tickets in the Arabian Gulf League, beginning with this round on Thursday and Friday.
Organisers, the Pro League Committee, approved the change as part of the strategic plan which prioritises the use of technology and smart apps through strategic initiatives. Fans can purchase ticketing with ease through the website: www.platinumlist.net/arabian-gulf-league.
Prices range from Dh10-500, depending on category and class of fixture. Cheapest entry for Thursday’s meeting between Hatta and Shabab Al Ahli at Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium is Dh10 , while Friday’s top-of-the-table thriller between Al Wasl and Al Ain at Zabeel Stadium begins at Dh20.
This comes in an effort from the PLC to boost the sporting creativity culture, develop smart operations and increase adoption of modern technologies in the management and organisation of PLC competitions to deliver technological progress that matches the progress achieved on the pitch, evident in topping AFC domestic competitions ranking for four-consecutive times in one year.
احجز تذكرتك إلكترونياً الآن لحضور مباريات الجولة 12 من #دوري_الخليج_العربي
— Arabian Gulf League (@AGLeague) January 10, 2018
Book your #AGLeague round 12 tickets online nowhttps://t.co/wXy1Qp5WBI pic.twitter.com/bBop5iubEs
Sport360° verdict
Anything designed to boost the often-paltry attendances in the Arabian Gulf League has to be welcomed.
This initiative adds an air of modernity to a practice which before often felt so haphazard.
For the big fixtures, such as Friday’s huge match between Al Wasl and Al Ain, the original process was a free-for-all.
An opaque and intimidating approach made it too easy to shy away for both non-Arabic speakers and the uninitiated interested in testing out the competition. Why bother when answers for simple questions remained infuriatingly hard to find; Where can you buy them? How much do they cost? Where do you pick them up?
Now, with a few easy clicks anyone can gain access – from casual expats to the fully committed.
Such moves have been longed for. Attendance boosting is a major aim for the league, but drives have been rare.
In 2009, Al Ahli – who transformed into Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club last May – became the first club in the Middle East to sell tickets online. Few of their peers followed.
So many everyday transactions have now moved to the web, from ordering a taxi through Uber or Careem to tickets at Dubai Opera. The AGL catching up has to be applauded.
Let’s hope it is the start of a new, inclusive era.
