GCC 2nd Women Volleyball Championship kicks off Wednesday at Al-Wasl Club’s closed hall in Dubai, and lasts till Monday. Five GCC states will participate in the competition; namely: Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. Saudi Arabia has pulled from participation. The UAE Volleyball Federation organizes the championship in association with the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare, UAE Women’s Sports Committee, DSC Women’s Sports Committee, and Sharjah Ladies Club. The opening game will pit UAE against Qatar in the one-round league competition. Every team is allowed to include 18 players along with a coach, assistant coach and an international referee. UAE won the first version of the championship that was held in Kuwait in 2010.