UAE Arabian Gulf League

UAE Arabian Gulf League

Country	United Arab Emirates
Confederation	AFC
Founded	1973
Number of teams	14
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	First Division
Domestic cup(s)	President's Cup UAE League Cup Arabian Gulf Super Cup
International cup(s)	AFC Champions League
Current champions	Al-Ahli (7 titles) (2015–16)
Most championships	Al-Ain (12 titles)
TV partners	Abu Dhabi Sports, Dubai Sports
Website	www.agleague.ae
2016–17 season

The Arabian Gulf League is the top professional football league in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The first team to win the title was Al-Sharjah, whilst Al-Ain has the record with 12 league titles to their name. Fourteen clubs compete in the League that operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the UAE First Division.

The League was founded in 1973 as the UAE Football League. The first 1973–74 season was a "trial" championship but was declared official by the UAE FA in 2001.^[1] In February 2007, the Pro League Committee was formed, and became the organizing body of the League.

Name Change

Starting from the 2013–14 season the name was changed to UAE Arabian Gulf League^[2] after a 70 million AED one-year renewable partnership deal with Arabian Gulf Development to be named Official Title Partner,^[3] however, the name change has been viewed as a revival of the Persian Gulf naming dispute^[4] with Iran accusing the United Arab Emirates of racism,^[5] and the Iranian Football Federation barring the transfer of Javad Nekounam to a UAE club.^[6]

Member clubs (2016–17)

UAE Football League
Club	Location	Stadium
Al-Ahli	Dubai	Rashed Stadium
Al-Ain	Al Ain	Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium
Al-Dhafra	Al Gharbia	Hamdan Bin Zayed Stadium
Al-Ittihad Kalba	Kalba	Ittihad Kalba Club Stadium
Al-Jazira	Abu Dhabi	Al Jazira Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium
Al-Nasr	Dubai	Al-Maktoum Stadium
Al-Shabab	Dubai	Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium
Al-Sharjah	Sharjah	Sharjah Stadium
Al-Wahda	Abu Dhabi	Al-Nahyan Stadium
Al-Wasl	Dubai	Zabeel Stadium
Baniyas	Abu Dhabi	Baniyas Stadium
Dibba Al-Fujairah	Fujairah	Fujairah Club Stadium
Emirates	Ras Al Khaimah	Emirates Club Stadium
Hatta	Dubai	Hatta Stadium

List of champions

Source:^[7]

• 1973–74: Al-Sharjah
• 1974–75: Al-Ahli
• 1975–76: Al-Ahli
• 1976–77: Al-Ain
• 1977–78: Al-Nasr
• 1978–79: Al-Nasr
• 1979–80: Al-Ahli
• 1980–81: Al-Ain
• 1981–82: Al-Wasl
• 1982–83: Al-Wasl
• 1983–84: Al-Ain
• 1984–85: Al-Wasl
• 1985–86: Al-Nasr
• 1986–87: Al-Sharjah
• 1987–88: Al-Wasl
• 1988–89: Al-Sharjah
• 1989–90: Al-Shabab
• 1990–91: Not completed due to Gulf War
• 1991–92: Al-Wasl
• 1992–93: Al-Ain
• 1993–94: Al-Sharjah
• 1994–95: Al-Shabab
• 1995–96: Al-Sharjah
• 1996–97: Al-Wasl
• 1997–98: Al-Ain
• 1998–99: Al-Wahda
• 1999–00: Al-Ain
• 2000–01: Al-Wahda
• 2001–02: Al-Ain
• 2002–03: Al-Ain
• 2003–04: Al-Ain
• 2004–05: Al-Wahda
• 2005–06: Al-Ahli
• 2006–07: Al-Wasl
• 2007–08: Al-Shabab
• 2008–09: Al-Ahli
• 2009–10: Al-Wahda
• 2010–11: Al-Jazira
• 2011–12: Al-Ain
• 2012–13: Al-Ain
• 2013–14: Al-Ahli
• 2014–15: Al-Ain
• 2015–16: Al-Ahli

<sub>Notes
1. Al-Sharjah won its first championship in 1973–74 as Al-Oroba.</sub>

Champions

Performance by club

Club	Winners	Winning seasons
Al-Ain	12	1976–77, 1980–81, 1983–84, 1992–93, 1997–98, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15
Al-Wasl	7	1981–82, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1991–92, 1996–97, 2006–07
Al-Ahli	7	1974–75, 1975–76, 1979–80, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2013–14, 2015–16
Al-Sharjah	5	1973–74, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1993–94, 1995–96
Al-Wahda	4	1998–99, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2009–10
Al-Nasr	3	1977–78, 1978–79, 1985–86
Al-Shabab	3	1989–90, 1994–95, 2007–08
Al-Jazira	1	2010–11

Performance by city

City / Area	Titles	Clubs	Winning seasons
Dubai	20	Al-Wasl	(7): 1981–82, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1991–92, 1996–97, 2006–07
		Al-Ahli	(7): 1974–75, 1975–76, 1979–80, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2013–14, 2015–16
		Al-Nasr	(3): 1977–78, 1978–79, 1985–86
		Al-Shabab	(3): 1989–90, 1994–95, 2007–08
Al Ain	12	Al-Ain	(12): 1976–77, 1980–81, 1983–84, 1992–93, 1997–98, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15
Sharjah	5	Al-Sharjah	(5): 1973–74, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1993–94, 1995–96
Abu Dhabi	5	Al-Wahda	(4): 1998–99, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2009–10
		Al-Jazira	(1): 2010–11

Players

All-time top scorers

Source:^[8]

Rank	Nat	Name	Club	Years	Goals	Apps
1		Fahad Khamees	Al-Wasl	1980–1997	166	230
2		Mohammad Omar	Al-Wasl Al-Ain Al-Jazira Al-Dhafra Al-Nasr Ajman	1992–2011	132	237
3		Adnan Al Talyani	Al-Shaab	1980–1999	129	232
4		Abdulaziz Mohamed	Al-Sharjah	N/A–2002	127	N/A
5		Youssouf Atiq Ahmed Abdullah	Al-Ahli Al-Ain	1988–2002 1978–1995	117	N/A
6		Faisal Khalil	Al-Ahli Al-Wasl Al-Shaab	1999–	114	302
7		Asamoah Gyan	Al-Ain Al-Ahli	2011–	110	102
8		Anderson Barbosa	Al-Sharjah Al-Wasl	2002–2009	99	128
9		Ali Thani	Al-Sharjah	N/A	93	N/A

Top scorers by season

Season	Player	Club	Goals
1974–75[9]	Suhail Salim	Al-Ahli	14
1975–76[10]	Ali Nawaz Baloch	Al-Wahda	12
1976–77[10]	Al Fadhel Santo	Al-Nasr	10
1977–78[10]	Mohieddine Habita	Al-Ain	20
1980–81[11]	Karim Abdul Razak	Emirates	14
1981–82[12]	Ahmed Abdullah	Al-Ain	12
1982–83[13]	Carlos	Al-Nasr	12
1983–84[14]	Ahmed Abdullah Fahad Khamees	Al-Ain Al-Wasl	20
1984–85[15]	Fahad Khamees Adnan Al Talyani	Al-Wasl Al-Shaab	14
1985–86[11][15]	Mohammed Salem	Al-Wahda	16
1986–87[11][15]	Adnan Al Talyani Khalil Ghanim	Al-Shaab Al-Khaleej	13
1987–88[16]	Zuhair Bakheet	Al-Wasl	25
1988–89[17]	Fahad Khamees	Al-Wasl	14
1989–90[15]	Hussain Yaslam	Baniyas	16
1991–92[18][19]	Youssouf Atiq	Al-Ahli	25
1992–93[11][19]	Saif Sultan	Al-Ain	20
1993–94[11][20]	Abdulaziz Mohammed	Al-Sharjah	18
1994–95[11][19]	Bader Jassim	Al-Wahda	10
1995–96[19][21]	Jassim Al Dokhi	Al-Shaab	10
1996–97[11][19]	Bader Jassim	Al-Wahda	11
1997–98[19]	Ali Thani	Al-Sharjah	18
1998–99[22]	Alboury Lah	Al-Wahda	29
1999–00[19][23]	Alboury Lah	Al-Wahda	18
2000–01[24][25]	Mohammed Al Enazi	Al-Wahda	22
2001–02[24][26]	Mohammed Al Enazi	Al-Wahda	22
2002–03[27]	Cristián Montecinos	Dubai	19
2003–04[28]	Ali Karimi	Al-Ahli	14
2004–05[13][29]	Valdir Anderson Barbosa	Al-Nasr Al-Sharjah	23
2005–06[30]	Anderson Barbosa	Al-Sharjah	19
2006–07[31]	Anderson Barbosa	Al-Sharjah	19
2007–08[32]	Faisal Khalil Anderson Barbosa	Al-Ahli Al-Sharjah	16
2008–09[33]	Fernando Baiano	Al-Jazira	25
2009–10[34]	José Sand	Al-Ain	24
2010–11[35]	André Senghor	Baniyas	18
2011–12[36]	Asamoah Gyan	Al-Ain	22
2012–13[37]	Asamoah Gyan	Al-Ain	31
2013–14[38]	Asamoah Gyan	Al-Ain	29
2014–15	Mirko Vučinić	Al-Jazira	25
2015–16	Sebastián Tagliabué	Al-Wahda	25

References

1. "1973/74 UAE Football League". Retrieved 25 July 2013.
2. "New League name announced by H.E. Mohammed Thani Murshed Al Romaithi - News - UAE Pro League Committee". www.uae.agleague.ae.
3. "Arabian Gulf Development introduced as new Title Sponsor for the Arabian Gulf League - News - UAE Pro League Committee". www.uae.agleague.ae. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
4. James M. Dorsey (13 September 2011). "MIDEAST - Gulf rivalry between Iran, UAE transferred to the football pitch". Hurriyetdailynews.com. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
5. Category: Asia (29 May 2013). "Iran accuses UAE of racism in renaming Pro League to the Arabian Gulf League". Inside World Football. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
6. "Iran bars captain's UAE transfer over Gulf name". Fox News. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
7. Atsushi Fujioka (19 May 2011). "United Arab Emirates - List of Champions". UAE FA website. RSSSF. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
8. "100s". FootballUAE.net. Archived from the original on 25 June 2002. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
9. "United Arab Emirates 1974/75". RSSSF.com.
10. "1975-1978" (in Arabic). AlIttihad.ae.
11. "Scorers 1980-2001". FootballUAE.net (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 16 December 2001. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
12. "The league championship 35 years old story" (in Arabic). AlIttihad.ae.
13. "Top-scorer Valder calls for professional set-up in UAE". GulfNews.com.
14. "1983–84: Goals" (in Arabic). AlIttihad.ae.
15. "1984–91" (in Arabic). AlIttihad.ae.
16. "1987–88: Goals". RSSSF.com.
17. "1974–06" (in Arabic). AlIttihad.ae.
18. "1991–92: Goals". RSSSF.com.
19. "Al Ain achieve a record in the ninth title" (in Arabic). AlIttihad.ae.
20. "1993–94: Goals". RSSSF.com.
21. "1995–96: Goals". RSSSF.com.
22. "The Pro-League 4th edition launches today". AGLeague.ae.
23. "1999–00: Goals". RSSSF.com.
24. "2000-01: Goals". GulfNews.com.
25. "2000-01: Goals". RSSSF.com.
26. "2001-02: Goals". GulfNews.com.
27. "2002-03: Goals". GulfNews.com.
28. "2003-04: Goals". RSSSF.com.
29. "2004-05: Goals". Goalzz.com.
30. "2005-06: Goals". Goalzz.com.
31. "2006-07: Goals". Goalzz.com.
32. "2007-08: Goals". Goalzz.com.
33. "2008-09: Goals". Goalzz.com.
34. "2009-10: Goals". Soccerway.com.
35. "2010-11: Goals". Soccerway.com.
36. "2011-12: Goals". Soccerway.com.
37. "2012–13: Goals". Soccerway.com.
38. "2013-14: Goals". Soccerway.com.

External links

• Official AGL Site (English) (Arabic)
• United Arab Emirates - Arabian Gulf League - Hailoosport.com