UAE First Division League

UAE First Division League

Founded	1974; 50 years ago (1974)
Country	United Arab Emirates
Confederation	AFC
Number of teams	17
Level on pyramid	2
Promotion to	UAE Pro League
Relegation to	UAE Second Division League
Domestic cup(s)	President's Cup
International cup(s)	AFC Champions League (via cups)
Current champions	2022–23: Hatta (2nd title)
Most championships	Ittihad Kalba (7 titles)
TV partners	Sharjah Sports
Current: 2023–24 season

UAE First Division League is the second tier of football league competition in the United Arab Emirates.^[1]

As of 2020–21, the league features 15 sides who play each other in a home and away round-robin format, with a total of 28 games for each team. The top two sides gain promotion to the UAE Pro-League. On 29 May 2019, UAEFA announced that a UAE Second Division League to be established with smaller clubs, privately owned clubs, football academies with semi-professional teams compete for promotion to UAE Division one.^[2]^[3] On 6 July 2022, UAEFA announced that the number of participants will increase to 17 teams for the 2022–23 season. An increase of 2 teams, promoted from the UAE Second Division, and no relegation for UAE First Division clubs from the 2021–22 season, in an expansion season.^[4]

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Current teams

Note: Table lists clubs in alphabetical order.

Club	Home city	Stadium	Capacity
Al Arabi	Umm al Quwain	Umm al Quwain Stadium	3,000
Al Dhafra	Madinat Zayed	Al Dhafra Stadium	5,020
Al Dhaid	Dhaid	Al-Dhaid Stadium	500
Al Hamriyah	Al Hamriyah	Al Hamriya Sports Club Stadium	5,000
Al Jazirah Al Hamra	Al Jazirah Al Hamra	Al Hamra Stadium	2,000
Al Khaleej	Dubai (Mirdif)	UIS International School	200
Al Rams	Ar-Rams	Al Rams Stadium	4,000
Al Taawon	Al Jeer	Taawon Stadium	200
Al Urooba	Qidfa / Mirbah	Al Sharqi Stadium	3,000
Dibba Al Fujairah	Dibba Al Fujairah	Dibba New Stadium	9,000
Dibba Al Hisn	Dibba Al-Hisn	Dibba (H) Stadium	700
Dubai City	Dubai (Al Barsha)	Kings School Al Barsha	100
Dubai United	Dubai (Jumeirah)	Dubai British School	100
Fujairah	Fujairah	Fujairah Club Stadium	10,645
Gulf United	Dubai (Al Jaddaf)	Dubai Club Stadium	7,000
Masafi	Masafi	Masafi Stadium	2,000
Masfout	Masfout	Masfout Club Stadium	3,000

List of champions

Source:^[5]^[6]

1974–75: Al-Shabab
1975–76: Al Rams
1976–77: Al-Wahda
1977–78: Oman Club
1978–79: Khor Fakkan Club
1979–80: Ittihad Kalba
1980–81: Al Rams
1981–82: Al Khaleej
1982–83: Al-Jazira
1983–84: Al Qadsia Club
1984–85: Al-Wahda
1985–86: Fujairah
1986–87: Ras Al Khaima
1987–88: Al-Jazira
1988–89: Ittihad Kalba
1989–90: Fujairah
1990–91: Not completed due to Gulf War
1991–92: Al Urooba
1992–93: Al-Shaab
1993–94: Al Khaleej
1994–95: Baniyas
1995–96: Ittihad Kalba
1996–97: Emirates
1997–98: Al-Shaab
1998–99: Ittihad Kalba
1999–00: Sharjah
2000–01: Al Khaleej
2001–02: Al-Dhafra
2002–03: Emirates
2003–04: Dubai
2004–05: Baniyas
2005–06: Fujairah
2006–07: Al-Dhafra
2007–08: Al Khaleej
2008–09: Baniyas
2009–10: Ittihad Kalba
2010–11: Ajman
2011–12: Ittihad Kalba
2012–13: Emirates
2013–14: Ittihad Kalba
2014–15: Dibba Al-Fujairah
2015–16: Hatta
2016–17: Ajman
2017–18: Baniyas
2018–19: Khor Fakkan
2019–20: Not completed due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21: Al Urooba
2021–22: Dibba Al Fujairah
2022–23: Hatta

Al Khaleej was renamed in June 2017 to the match the name of the city Khorfakkan*^[7]

Champions

Performance by club

Club	Winners	Winning seasons
Kalba	7	1979–80, 1988–89, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2013–14
Khor Fakkan	6	1978–79, 1981–82, 1993–94, 2000–01, 2007–08, 2018–19
Emirates	5	1977–78, 1983–84,1996–97, 2002–03, 2012–13
Baniyas	4	1994–95, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2017–18
Fujairah	3	1985–86, 1989–90, 2005–06
Al Rams	2	1975–76, 1980–81
Al Wahda		1976–77, 1984–85
Al Jazira		1982–83, 1987–88
Al Shaab¹		1992–93, 1997–98
Al Dhafra		2001–02, 2006–07
Ajman		2010–11, 2016–17
Al Urooba		1991–92, 2020–21
Dibba Al Fujairah		2014–15, 2021–22
Hatta		2015–16, 2022–23
Al Shabab¹	1	1974–75
Ras Al Khaimah		1986–87
Sharjah		1999–00
Dubai¹		2003–04

¹ Club no longer exists.

Performance by city

City / Area	Titles	Clubs	Winning seasons
Abu Dhabi	8	Baniyas	(4): 1994–95, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2017–18
		Al Wahda	(2): 1976–77, 1984–85
		Al Jazira	(2): 1982–83, 1987–88
Kalba	7	Kalba	(7): 1979–80, 1988–89, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2013–14
Ras Al Khaimah	6	Emirates	(5): 1977–78,1983–84,1996–97, 2002–03, 2012–13
Ras Al Khaimah		Ras Al Khaimah	(1): 1986–87
Khor Fakkan		Khor Fakkan	(6): 1978–79, 1981–82, 1993–94, 2000–01, 2007–08, 2018–19
Fujairah	3	Fujairah	(3): 1985–86, 1989–90, 2005–06
Sharjah		Al Shaab	(2): 1992–93, 1997–98
Sharjah		Sharjah	(1): 1999–00
Dubai	2	Al Shabab	(1): 1974–75
Dubai		Dubai	(1): 2003–04
Ar-Rams		Al Rams	(2): 1975–76, 1980–81
Madinat Zayed		Al Dhafra	(2): 2001–02, 2006–07
Ajman		Ajman	(2): 2010–11, 2016–17
Qidfa / Mirbah		Al Urooba	(2): 1991–92, 2020–21
Dibba Al-Fujairah		Dibba Al Fujairah	(2): 2014–15, 2021–22
Hatta		Hatta	(2): 2015–16, 2022–23

Performance by emirates

Emirates	Titles	Clubs	Winning seasons
Sharjah	16	Kalba	(7): 1979–80, 1988–89, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2013–14
		Khor Fakkan	(6): 1978–79, 1981–82, 1993–94, 2000–01, 2007–08, 2018–19
		Sharjah	(3): 1999–00, 1992–93, 1997–98
Abu Dhabi	10	Baniyas	(4): 1994–95, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2017–18
		Al Wahda	(2): 1976–77, 1984–85
		Al Jazira	(2): 1982–83, 1987–88
		Al Dhafra	(2): 2001–02, 2006–07
Ras Al Khaimah	8	Emirates	(5): 1977–78,1983–84,1996–97, 2002–03, 2012–13
		Al Rams	(2): 1975–76, 1980–81
		Ras Al Khaimah	(1): 1986–87
Fujairah	7	Fujairah	(3): 1985–86, 1989–90, 2005–06
		Al Urooba	(2): 1991–92, 2020–21
		Dibba Al-Fujairah	(2): 2014–15, 2021–22
Dubai	4	Hatta	(2): 2015–16, 2022–23
		Al Shabab	(1): 1974–75
		Dubai	(1): 2003–04
Ajman	2	Ajman	(2): 2010–11, 2016–17

Top scorers

1999–2000: Razzaq Farhan (42 goals)
2007–08: Modibo Kane Diarra (44 goals) (Record)
2008–09: Nabil Daoudi (36 goals)
2009–10: Michaël N'dri (10 goals)
2010–11: Patrick Fabiano (19 goals)
2011–12: Makhete Diop (29 goals)
2012–13: Modibo Kane Diarra (24 goals)
2013–14: Modibo Kane Diarra (27 goals)
2014–15: Michaël N'dri (24 goals)
2015–16: Tássio Maia dos Santos (17 goals)
2016–17: Adeílson Pereira de Mello (23 goals)
2017–18: Marcus Vinícius Araujo Silva (21 goals)
2018–19: Vinícius Lopes (16 goals)
2019–20: Alexssander azeredo Vinícius Lopes (11 goals)
2020–21: Diogo Acosta (20 goals)
2021–22: Diogo Acosta (27 goals)
2022–23: Diogo Acosta (24 goals)

References

^ Zaid Benjamin (28 October 2010). "United Arab Emirates 2009/10". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
^ اتحاد الكرة يطلق مسابقة دوري الدرجة الثانية في الموسم الجديد. Sharjah (in Arabic). Retrieved 29 May 2019.
^ اتحاد الكرة يُطلق مسابقة دوري الدرجة الثانية في الموسم الجديد. UAE Football Association. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
^ اتحاد الكرة يستعرض الشكل الجديد لأغلى الكؤوس ومسابقات الموسم الرياضي المقبل. UAE Football Association. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
^ دوري الدرجة الثانية. UAE Football Association. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
^ تاريخ الدوري الإماراتي الدرجة الاولي. Kooora. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
^ تغيير اسم نادي الخليج إلى «خورفكان». 13 June 2017.

External links

UAE FA Official website (in English and Arabic)

v t e Football in the United Arab Emirates
UAEFA PLC
National teams	Men's national team U-23 U-20 U-17 Women's national team Men's Futsal Beach Soccer	United Arab Emirates portal
League system	Pro League First Division League Second Division League Third Division League
Domestic cups	President's Cup League Cup Super Cup Federation Cup (defunct)
International Competitions	AFC Champions League Arabian Gulf Cup Arab Club Champions Cup GCC Champions League Friendship Tournament (defunct)
Clubs Records