UAE First Division League

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

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. 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.

The league is growing in prominence since its inclusion of privately owned teams promoted from the UAE Second Division league since the 2021–22 season. The league's popularity has been growing year on year and has begun to attract global names such as Mario Balotelli, Quincy Promes, Douglas Costa, Benik Afobe, Leroy Fer, Kurt Zouma and managers such as Andrea Pirlo and most recently Andres Iniesta, amongst many others.

Current teams As of 2025–26 UAE First Division League Note: Table lists clubs in alphabetical order. Club Home city Stadium Capacity Al-Arabi Umm Al Quwain Umm Al Quwain Stadium Al Dhaid Dhaid Al-Dhaid Stadium Al Hamriyah Al Hamriyah Al Hamriya Sports Club Stadium Al Ittifaq Dubai (Al Mamzar) Various Grounds Al Jazirah Al Hamra Al Jazirah Al Hamra Al Hamra Stadium Al Orooba Qidfa / Mirbah Al Sharqi Stadium Dibba Al Hisn Dibba Al-Hisn Dibba (H) Stadium Dubai City Dubai (Al Barsha) Various Grounds ??? Dubai United Dubai (Jumeirah) Dubai British School Emirates Ras Al Khaimah Emirates Club Stadium Fujairah Fujairah Fujairah Club Stadium Gulf United Dubai (Al Jaddaf) JA Sports & Shooting Club Stadium Hatta Hatta Hamdan Bin Rashid Stadium Majd Sweihan Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium Masfout Masfout Masfout Club Stadium

List of champions Source:

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 2023–24: Al Urooba 2024–25: Al-Dhafra 2025–26: Hatta

Al Khaleej was renamed in June 2017 to the match the name of the city Khor Fakkan*

Champions

Performance by club Club Winners Winning seasons Kalba 1979–80, 1988–89, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2013–14 Khor Fakkan 1978–79, 1981–82, 1993–94, 2000–01, 2007–08, 2018–19 Emirates 1977–78, 1983–84,1996–97, 2002–03, 2012–13 Baniyas 1994–95, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2017–18 Fujairah3 1985–86, 1989–90, 2005–06 Al Urooba 1991–92, 2020–21, 2023–24 Al Dhafra2001–02, 2006–07, 2024–25 Al Rams2 1975–76, 1980–81 Al Wahda 1976–77, 1984–85 Al Jazira 1982–83, 1987–88 Al Shaab1 1992–93, 1997–98 Ajman 2010–11, 2016–17 Dibba Al Fujairah 2014–15, 2021–22 Hatta 2015–16, 2022–23 Al Shabab11 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 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 (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 (1): 1999–00 Qidfa / Mirbah Al Urooba (3): 1991–92, 2020–21, 2023–24Madinat ZayedAl Dhafra(3): 2001–02, 2006–07, 2024-25 Dubai 2 Al Shabab (1): 1974–75 Dubai (1): 2003–04 Ar-Rams Al Rams (2): 1975–76, 1980–81 Ajman Ajman (2): 2010–11, 2016–17 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 11 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 (3): 2001–02, 2006–07, 2024-25 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 Fujairah (3): 1985–86, 1989–90, 2005–06 Al Urooba (3): 1991–92, 2020–21, 2023–24 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 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: Alex Azeredo Vinícius Lopes (11 goals) 2020–21: Diogo Acosta (20 goals) 2021–22: Diogo Acosta (27 goals) 2022–23: Diogo Acosta (24 goals) 2023–24: Marcelo Torres (26 goals) 2024–25: Sander Benbachir (21 goals)

References

External links UAE FA — official website