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Saudi First Division League

Professional football league in Saudi Arabia

Summary

Professional football league in Saudi Arabia

Field	Value
logo	Saudi First Division League Logo.svg
pixels	200px
name	First Division League
دوري الدرجة الأولى
country	Saudi Arabia
confed	AFC
founded
organiser	Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF)
teams	18 (since 2022–23)
promotion	Saudi Pro League
relegation	Saudi Second Division League
levels	2
domest_cup	King's Cup
champions	Neom (1st title)
season	2024–25
most successful club	Hajer
Al-Wehda
Al-Qadsiah
Al-Jabalain
(4 titles each)
top_goalscorer	Ousmane Barry (108 goals)
tv	Thmanyah
website
current	2025–26 First Division League	confed_cup=AFC Champions League Two (via the King's Cup)

the Saudi men's league

دوري الدرجة الأولى Al-Wehda Al-Qadsiah Al-Jabalain (4 titles each)

The Saudi First Division League (FDL), also known as the Yelo League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Saudi Arabia and serves as the second tier of the Saudi football league system. It ranks directly below the Saudi Pro League and above the Saudi Second Division League.

History

The First Division League, originally thought to have been established in 1976, was officially recognized in 2025 as having been founded in 1957, following the findings of the 2023–2025 Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) historical documentation project. This revision aligns the league's origins with those of the Saudi Pro League, whose early development occurred in the same era.

Prior to 1976, records of Saudi football competitions were sporadic and poorly archived. In response, a national effort was undertaken to verify and document early league structures. The SAFF project uncovered evidence of organized second-tier competitions dating back to the late 1950s, which were eventually unified and formally structured into what became the First Division.

From the 2017–18 season to the 2020–21 season, the league was named in honor of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Throughout its history, the league has served as a vital platform for club development and promotion to the top flight. Among its most successful participants, Hajer, Al-Wehda, Al-Qadsiah, and Al-Jabalain each hold four titles—the most in the league’s recorded history.

Competition format

There are 18 clubs in the First Division League. During the course of a season (usually from August to May) each club plays every other club twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for 34 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss.

The top two teams are promoted to the Saudi Pro League directly, a play-off system to determine the third team to be promoted alongside the two. Teams placed between third and sixth position take part in the promotion play-offs. The fifth-placed would face the fourth, while the sixth-placed team would face the third. The final would be single-legged, hosted by the higher-placed team, while the bottom three teams are relegated to the Saudi Second Division League.

Each club can have a maximum of 25 players and a minimum of 16. The list can include up to 4 foreign players and 1 player born in Saudi Arabia, with the remaining players being all Saudi. Foreign goalkeepers were first allowed during the 2017–18 season. However, since the 2025–26 season, the goalkeeper position has been restricted exclusively to Saudi players.

Current clubs

For details on the FD League 2025–26 season, see here.

Stadiums and locations

:Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.

Team	Location	Stadium
Abha	Abha	Al-Mahalah Stadium
Damac Club Stadium (Khamis Mushait)

Al-Adalah	Al-Ahsa	Hofuf stadium
Hajer Club Stadium

Al-Anwar	Hotat Bani Tamim	Al-Anwar Club Stadium
Al-Shoulla Club Stadium (Al-Kharj)

Al-Arabi	Unaizah	Department of Education Stadium
Al-Batin	Hafar al-Batin	Al-Batin Club Stadium
Al-Bukiryah	Al-Bukiryah	Al-Bukiryah Club Stadium
Diriyah	Diriyah	Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Stadium (Riyadh)
Al-Faisaly	Harmah	Al-Majma'ah Sports City Stadium (Al-Majma'ah)
Al-Jabalain	Hail	Prince Abdulaziz bin Musa'ed Sports City Stadium
Al-Jandal	Dumat al-Jandal	Al-Jawf University Stadium (Sakakah)
Al-Jubail	Jubail	Prince Nayef Sports City Stadium (Qatif)
Prince Saud bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium (Khobar)

Al-Orobah	Sakakah	Al-Jawf University Stadium
Al-Orobah Club Stadium

Al-Raed	Buraidah	Al-Raed Club Stadium
King Abdullah Sports City Stadium Buraidah

Al-Tai	Hail	Prince Abdulaziz bin Musa'ed Sports City Stadium
Al-Ula	al-Ula	Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Sports City (Medina)
Al-Wehda	Mecca	King Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium
Al-Zulfi	Al-Zulfi	Al-Zulfi Club Stadium
Jeddah	Jeddah	Al-Faisal Stadium
Sports Hall at King Abdullah Sports City

Champions

List of champions{{cite web

|access-date=2025-09-17 |access-date=2025-09-17 |access-date=2025-09-17

#	Season	Champions	Runners-up
1	1957–58	Al-Alamein	–
2	1958–59	Al-Shatei	–
3	1959–60	Thaqeef	–
4	1960–61	Al-Kawakeb	–
5	1961–62	Nusoor Al-Hejaz	–
6	1962–63	Nusoor Al-Hejaz	–
7	1963–64	Al-Nassr	–
8	1964–65	Al-Sharq Al-Watani	–
9	1965–66	Al-Sharq Al-Watani	–
10	1966–67	Hajer	–
11	1967–68	Al-Tadamon	–
12	1968–69	Al-Jabalain	–
13	1969–70	Hajer	–
14	1970–71	Al-Jabalain	–
15	1971–72	Abha	–
16	1972–73	Al-Jabalain	–
17	1973–74	Not held
18	1974–75	Not held
19	1975–76	Not completed
20	1976–77	Al-Nahda	Al-Ettifaq
21	1977–78	Al-Riyadh	Al-Tai
22	1978–79	Al-Shabab	Ohod
23	1979–80	Al-Jabalain	Al-Riyadh
24	1980–81	Ohod	Al-Rawdah
25	1981–82	Not held
26	1982–83	Al-Wehda	Al-Riyadh
27	1983–84	Ohod	Al-Jabalain
28	1984–85	Al-Tai	Al-Kawkab
29	1985–86	Al-Ansar	Al-Raed
30	1986–87	Al-Kawkab	Ohod
31	1987–88	Hajer	Al-Rawdah
32	1988–89	Al-Riyadh	Al-Raed
33	1989–90	Al-Najma	Al-Arabi
34	1990–91	Al-Nahda	Ohod
35	1991–92	Al-Raed	Al-Najma
36	1992–93	Al-Nahda	Ohod
37	1993–94	Al-Najma	Al-Rawdah
38	1994–95	Al-Tai	Al-Taawoun
39	1995–96	Al-Wehda	Al-Ansar
40	1996–97	Al-Taawoun	Al-Shoulla
41	1997–98	Hajer	Al-Ansar
42	1998–99	Sdoos	Al-Raed
43	1999–00	Al-Ansar	Al-Qadsiah
44	2000–01	Al-Tai	Al-Shoulla
45	2001–02	Al-Qadsiah	Al-Raed
46	2002–03	Al-Wehda	Al-Khaleej
47	2003–04	Ohod	Al-Ansar
48	2004–05	Al-Hazem	Abha
49	2005–06	Al-Khaleej	Al-Faisaly
50	2006–07	Al-Watani	Najran
51	2007–08	Al-Raed	Abha
52	2008–09	Al-Qadsiah	Al-Fateh
53	2009–10	Al-Faisaly	Al-Taawoun
54	2010–11	Hajer	Al-Ansar
55	2011–12	Al-Shoulla	Al-Wehda
56	2012–13	Al-Orobah	Al-Nahda
57	2013–14	Hajer	Al-Khaleej
58	2014–15	Al-Qadsiah	Al-Wehda
59	2015–16	Al-Ettifaq	Al-Batin
60	2016–17	Al-Fayha	Ohod
61	2017–18	Al-Wehda	Al-Hazem
62	2018–19	Abha	Damac
63	2019–20	Al-Batin	Al-Qadsiah
64	2020–21	Al-Hazem	Al-Fayha
65	2021–22	Al-Khaleej	Al-Adalah
66	2022–23	Al-Ahli	Al-Hazem
67	2023–24	Al-Qadsiah	Al-Orobah
68	2024–25	Neom	Al-Najma

Performance by club

Club	Titles	Winning years
Hajer	4	1966–67, 1979–80, 1987–88, 2013–14
Al-Jabalain	4	1968–69, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1979–80
Al-Wehda	4	1982–83, 1995–96, 2002–03, 2017–18
Al-Qadsiah	4	2001–02, 2008–09, 2014–15, 2023–24
Al-Nahda	3	1976–77, 1990–91, 1992–93
Al-Tai	3	1984–85, 1994–95, 2000–01
Ohod	3	1980–81, 1983–84, 2003–04
Al-Riyadh	2	1977–78, 1988–89
Al-Najma	2	1989–90, 1993–94
Al-Ansar	2	1985–86, 1999–2000
Al-Raed	2	1991–92, 2007–08
Al-Hazem	2	2004–05, 2020–21
Al-Khaleej	2	2005–06, 2021–22
Abha	2	1971–72, 2018–19
Al-Sharq Al-Watani	2	1964–65, 1965–66
Nusoor Al-Hejaz	2	1961–62, 1962–63
Al-Nassr	1	1963–64
Al-Shabab	1	1978–79
Al-Kawkab	1	1986–87
Al-Taawoun	1	1996–97
Sdoos	1	1998–99
Al-Watani	1	2006–07
Al-Faisaly	1	2009–10
Al-Shoulla	1	2011–12
Al-Orobah	1	2012–13
Al-Ettifaq	1	2015–16
Al-Fayha	1	2016–17
Al-Ahli	1	2022–23
Al-Batin	1	2019–20
Neom	1	2024–25
Al-Alamein	1	1957–58
Al-Shatei	1	1958–59
Thaqeef	1	1959–60
Al-Kawakeb	1	1960–61
Al-Tadamon	1	1967–68

Top scorers

Sponsorship

Sponsorship Names

No sponsorship (1957–2011)
Rakaa league (2012–2013)
No sponsorship (2014–2020)
Yelo league (2021–present)

References

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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