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UAE First Division League

Field	Value
logo	UAE_First_Division_League.png
country	United Arab Emirates
confed	AFC
founded
teams	14
promotion	UAE Pro League
relegation	UAE Second Division League
levels	2
confed_cup	AFC Champions League (via cups)
domest_cup	President's Cup
most successful club	Ittihad Kalba (7 titles)
champions	Al Dhafra (3nd title)
season	2024–25
tv	Sharjah Sports
current	2025–26 UAE Division 1

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.

Current teams

As of 2025–26 UAE First Division League * :Note: Table lists clubs in alphabetical order.

Club	Home city	Stadium
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)	Kings School Al Barsha
Dubai United	Dubai (Jumeirah)	Dubai British School
Emirates	Ras Al Khaimah	Emirates Club Stadium
Fujairah	Fujairah	Fujairah Club Stadium
Gulf United	Dubai (Al Jaddaf)	Dubai 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

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

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
Fujairah	3	1985–86, 1989–90, 2005–06
Al Urooba	1991–92, 2020–21, 2023–24
Al Dhafra	2001–02, 2006–07, 2024-25
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
Ajman	2010–11, 2016–17
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

11 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, 2023–24
Madinat Zayed	Al 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: IRQ Razzaq Farhan (42 goals)
2007–08: CIV Modibo Kane Diarra (44 goals) (Record)
2008–09: MAR Nabil Daoudi (36 goals)
2009–10: FRA Michaël N'dri (10 goals)
2010–11: BRA Patrick Fabiano (19 goals)
2011–12: SEN Makhete Diop (29 goals)
2012–13: CIV Modibo Kane Diarra (24 goals)
2013–14: CIV Modibo Kane Diarra (27 goals)
2014–15: FRA Michaël N'dri (24 goals)
2015–16:BRA Tássio Maia dos Santos (17 goals)
2016–17:BRA Adeílson Pereira de Mello (23 goals)
2017–18:BRA Marcus Vinícius Araujo Silva (21 goals)
2018–19:BRA Vinícius Lopes (16 goals)
2019–20:BRA Alex Azeredo BRA Vinícius Lopes (11 goals)
2020–21:BRA Diogo Acosta (20 goals)
2021–22:BRA Diogo Acosta (27 goals)
2022–23: BRA Diogo Acosta (24 goals)
2023–24: ARG Marcelo Torres (26 goals)
2024–25: France Sander Benbachir (21 goals)

References

Zaid Benjamin. (28 October 2010). "United Arab Emirates 2009/10".
link. Sharjah
link
link
link
link
link. (13 June 2017)

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