Doha, September 3, 2025 Aspetar, Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Iraq Football Association. Under this agreement, the Iraqi national team will receive continuous medical and scientific support over the next two years, gaining access to Aspetar’s state-of-the-art medical facilities and advanced sports infrastructure. With this partnership, Iraq joins Aspetar’s global network of partners who benefit from the expertise of the renowned Qatari hospital.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Khalid Ali Al-Mawlawi, Acting Director general of Aspetar, said:

The signing of this cooperation agreement with the Iraq Football Association marks another milestone in strengthening our solid and longstanding relations. This agreement reaffirms Aspetar’s leading role in sports medicine in the region and underscores our commitment to enhancing player performance by providing world-class medical and scientific services, while supporting initiatives that serve athletes and advance sports medicine regionally and internationally.

For his part, Mr. Adnan Dirjal, President of the Iraq Football Association, stated:

This agreement with Aspetar aims to further enhance sporting cooperation between the two parties. We have agreed to coordinate efforts to benefit from Aspetar’s expertise in medicine and sports science, which will help improve the technical and medical capabilities of Iraqi teams. Aspetar, as the first of its kind in the world, plays a vital and pivotal role in preserving player health and achieving optimal results.

The memorandum also grants Iraqi teams priority access to Aspetar’s world-class medical services, enabling them to benefit from international best practices in maintaining player fitness and improving performance.

Furthermore, the agreement covers collaboration in sports science services, including performance assessments for national team players, scientific and professional development for the association’s medical staff, and providing athletes with guidance aligned with the highest international standards.

In support of preparations and training, the agreement also allows Iraqi teams to utilize training facilities within Aspire Zone, ensuring a professional environment conducive to talent development and optimal readiness for local and international competitions.

With this step, the Iraq Football Association joins several federations and clubs with established medical partnerships with Aspetar, including Paris Saint-Germain and the Algeria Football Federation.

Aspetar is one of the world’s leading specialized hospitals in orthopaedics and sports medicine, and the first of its kind in the Middle East. In 2009, Aspetar was officially accredited as a FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, and it is also recognized as an IOC Research Centre.

About Aspetar:

Aspetar is a world-leading specialised orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital and the first of its kind in the Middle East. Since 2007, with a world expert team, the hospital has provided top-level comprehensive medical treatment to all athletes in a state-of-the-art facility that sets new standards internationally.

In 2009, Aspetar was accredited as a “FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence” by F-MARC. In 2013, Aspetar was adopted as a reference collaborator centre by the Gulf Countries Council (GCC) Health Ministers Council and “The IOC Research Centre for Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health” in 2014.

In 2015, Aspetar has been recognised as the “IHF Reference Centre for Athlete and Referee Health”. In the same year, the hospital also achieved obtained-on December 15 the Accreditation Canada International (ACI) “Platinum Level”.

Aspetar is a member–organisation of Aspire Zone Foundation, Qatar’s innovative sports and healthy lifestyle destination.