UAE Pro League reveals 2025-26 season draw
For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport
The draw ceremony took place in the presence of club, sponsor and media representatives and was hosted by ADNOC, official sponsors of the UAE Pro League.
It was attended by Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber, the UAE minister of industry and advanced technology and managing director and CEO of ADNOC and its group of companies. Also present were Abdullah Nasser Al-Jneibi, chairman of the UAE Pro League and first vice president of the UAE Football Association, Saif Al-Falahi, ADNOC's group business support and special tasks director, ADNOC Distribution CEO Bader Saeed Al-Lamki, and Ahmed Al-Mubarak, ADIB's head of commercial real estate and corporate finance.
The draw was presented by media personalities Yousef Saleh and Khaled Bayoumi and also featured the schedule for the sixth eUAE Pro League Championship, reflecting the growing importance of esports.
It was carried out using a smart electronic draw system first implemented in the 2021-22 season, highlighting the UAE government's vision of the use of artificial intelligence technology via the OpenAI program, in line with the UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031.
This season, the UAE Pro League implemented a round-by-round draw system, in line with international best practices adopted by top leagues such as the English Premier League, Serie A and the Bundesliga.
The smart draw mechanism used a set of key criteria, including upholding sporting integrity, distributing matches based on 2024–25 season standings, balancing major and high-attendance fixtures, clubs' external commitments, coordinating match schedules within the same emirate, and ensuring no more than two matches are played in the same city on the same day.
The ADIB Cup draw resulted in strong clashes in the first round. In Path 1, Al Nasr face Al-Bataeh, with the winner playing Shabab Al-Ahli. Meanwhile, the winner of Sharjah vs. Dibba will face the winner of Al-Ain vs. Khorfakkan.
In Path 2, reigning champions Al-Jazira will meet the winner of Al-Wasl vs Al-Dhafra. The winner of Al-Wahda vs Ajman will face the winner of Bani Yas vs Khorfakkan.
The ADNOC Pro League draw introduced a new system with separate draws for each round.
The opening legs will not feature high-profile clashes. Shabab Al-Ahli will play Al-Dhafra, Ajman face Al-Wahda, Dibba take on Sharjah, Al-Ain meet Al Bataeh, Kalba clash against Al-Nasr, Khorfakkan play Al-Jazira, and Al Wasl face off against Bani Yas.
Major battles begin in week two, with Shabab Al-Ahli facing Al-Wahda and Sharjah playing Al-Jazira.
In week three, Al-Wasl will play Al-Ain and Al-Jazira will face Al-Nasr, while week four features Al-Nasr vs Shabab Al-Ahli. Week five hosts three major matches — Shabab Al-Ahli vs Al-Ain, Al-Jazira vs. Al-Wahda, and Al-Wasl vs. Sharjah.
The 'Dubai Derby' between Al-Wasl and Al-Nasr will be played in week six.
The first week of the second half of the season will see Al-Wahda play Dibba, Al-Dhafra vs Sharjah, Ajman vs Shabab Al-Ahli, Al-Nasr vs Bani Yas, Al-Bataeh vs Al-Jazira, Kalba vs Al-Ain and Al-Wasl vs Khorfakkan.
In the eUAE Pro League Championship, Group A includes Bani Yas, Al-Bataeh, Sharjah, Kalba, Ajman, Dibba and Al-Jazira.
Group B will see matches between Khorfakkan, Al-Wasl, Al-Ain, Al-Wahda, Shabab Al-Ahli, Al-Nasr, and Al-Dhafra.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
3 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Ricky Hatton, 46, To Make Boxing Comeback In Dubai
Ricky Hatton, the 46-year-old former two-weight world champion, will return to the ring to fight in the United Arab Emirates on December 2, 13 years after he retired. The Manchester native, who turns 47 in October, will face Eisa Al Dah in Dubai, it has been announced. Hatton (45–3) has not fought since losing in his last comeback bout to Vyacheslav Senchenko in November 2012. 'Fight! Fight! Fight! It's official,' Hatton posted on X. He won world titles at welterweight and light-welterweight, with his other two losses coming against pound-for-pound greats Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. He is the latest former champion to announce a comeback long after retirement in a growing market for such events, with Pacquiao, Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr., and Julio César Chávez Jr. all making lucrative returns. Al Dah, also 46, has not fought since 2021 and only once since 2012. But he was adamant it will be action-packed. 'It will not be like the Mike Tyson–Jake Paul fight,' Al Dah said. 'It will be a true fight. True action, and I will do my best.' Hatton became a British sporting hero after winning epic battles against Kostya Tszyu, José Luis Castillo, and Paulie Malignaggi. They earned him clashes with Mayweather and Pacquiao – but both ended in knockout defeats. He retired for the first time after his brutal second-round knockout defeat against Pacquiao in 2009 but returned more than three years later and fought Ukrainian Senchenko at the Manchester Arena. That fight also ended in defeat, with a ninth-round stoppage that left Hatton in tears. Since retiring, Hatton has trained other fighters in his Manchester gym. He said he hoped his fight would lead to more being staged in Dubai. 'There's a market for it,' he said, 'and I think it'll be a sensational evening.'
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
UAE Pro League reveals 2025-26 season draw
ABU DHABI: The 2025-26 season fixtures for the ADNOC Pro League, ADIB Cup and eUAE Pro League Championship were announced at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's headquarters on Sunday night. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The draw ceremony took place in the presence of club, sponsor and media representatives and was hosted by ADNOC, official sponsors of the UAE Pro League. It was attended by Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber, the UAE minister of industry and advanced technology and managing director and CEO of ADNOC and its group of companies. Also present were Abdullah Nasser Al-Jneibi, chairman of the UAE Pro League and first vice president of the UAE Football Association, Saif Al-Falahi, ADNOC's group business support and special tasks director, ADNOC Distribution CEO Bader Saeed Al-Lamki, and Ahmed Al-Mubarak, ADIB's head of commercial real estate and corporate finance. The draw was presented by media personalities Yousef Saleh and Khaled Bayoumi and also featured the schedule for the sixth eUAE Pro League Championship, reflecting the growing importance of esports. It was carried out using a smart electronic draw system first implemented in the 2021-22 season, highlighting the UAE government's vision of the use of artificial intelligence technology via the OpenAI program, in line with the UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031. This season, the UAE Pro League implemented a round-by-round draw system, in line with international best practices adopted by top leagues such as the English Premier League, Serie A and the Bundesliga. The smart draw mechanism used a set of key criteria, including upholding sporting integrity, distributing matches based on 2024–25 season standings, balancing major and high-attendance fixtures, clubs' external commitments, coordinating match schedules within the same emirate, and ensuring no more than two matches are played in the same city on the same day. The ADIB Cup draw resulted in strong clashes in the first round. In Path 1, Al Nasr face Al-Bataeh, with the winner playing Shabab Al-Ahli. Meanwhile, the winner of Sharjah vs. Dibba will face the winner of Al-Ain vs. Khorfakkan. In Path 2, reigning champions Al-Jazira will meet the winner of Al-Wasl vs Al-Dhafra. The winner of Al-Wahda vs Ajman will face the winner of Bani Yas vs Khorfakkan. The ADNOC Pro League draw introduced a new system with separate draws for each round. The opening legs will not feature high-profile clashes. Shabab Al-Ahli will play Al-Dhafra, Ajman face Al-Wahda, Dibba take on Sharjah, Al-Ain meet Al Bataeh, Kalba clash against Al-Nasr, Khorfakkan play Al-Jazira, and Al Wasl face off against Bani Yas. Major battles begin in week two, with Shabab Al-Ahli facing Al-Wahda and Sharjah playing Al-Jazira. In week three, Al-Wasl will play Al-Ain and Al-Jazira will face Al-Nasr, while week four features Al-Nasr vs Shabab Al-Ahli. Week five hosts three major matches — Shabab Al-Ahli vs Al-Ain, Al-Jazira vs. Al-Wahda, and Al-Wasl vs. Sharjah. The 'Dubai Derby' between Al-Wasl and Al-Nasr will be played in week six. The first week of the second half of the season will see Al-Wahda play Dibba, Al-Dhafra vs Sharjah, Ajman vs Shabab Al-Ahli, Al-Nasr vs Bani Yas, Al-Bataeh vs Al-Jazira, Kalba vs Al-Ain and Al-Wasl vs Khorfakkan. In the eUAE Pro League Championship, Group A includes Bani Yas, Al-Bataeh, Sharjah, Kalba, Ajman, Dibba and Al-Jazira. Group B will see matches between Khorfakkan, Al-Wasl, Al-Ain, Al-Wahda, Shabab Al-Ahli, Al-Nasr, and Al-Dhafra.
Arab News
15 hours ago
- Arab News
stc powers up upcoming Esports World Cup
stc Group has announced its early readiness to support the upcoming 2025 edition of the Esports World Cup, running from July 8 to Aug. 24. As a founding partner of EWC, stc will deploy cutting-edge technology and robust infrastructure designed to deliver an exceptional, high-performance, and reliable gaming experience for participants and audiences alike. Following its pivotal role in powering the inaugural EWC in 2024, stc is returning this year to support the world's largest gaming event with even more advanced capabilities. Central to this year's network infrastructure are intelligent monitoring systems featuring AI-driven traffic modeling, self-optimizing networks, and closed-loop automation, technologies that provide proactive insights and real-time network adjustments to ensure uninterrupted connectivity throughout the event. As part of its comprehensive preparations, stc has deployed 27 advanced 5G towers across key tournament areas, including three towers dedicated exclusively to the event center. As part of its comprehensive preparations, stc has deployed 27 advanced 5G towers across key tournament areas, including three towers dedicated exclusively to the event center. Within the venue buildings, an extensive indoor solutions network supported by more than 1,295 antennas will deliver high-speed 4G and 5G services, with internet speeds exceeding 2 Gbps ensuring smooth, responsive gameplay and seamless digital engagement. Additionally, stc has equipped one of the largest operations centers in the region with ultra-high-resolution 168 MP displays, enabling real-time monitoring of network performance and service utilization across all EWC facilities. This state-of-the-art center ensures immediate incident response and optimal service quality for both participants and attendees. To further enhance network efficiency, stc has implemented software-defined networking technologies, enabling agile, uninterrupted data flow throughout the tournament. The company has also expanded coverage across the venue by more than 20 percent compared to last year, ensuring stronger and more consistent connectivity. Last year, stc's integrated digital infrastructure played a crucial role in the tournament's success, delivering 99.9 percent network availability and ultra-low latency. This allowed players to enjoy a world-class gaming experience aligned with the highest international standards. These efforts earned stc the prestigious 'Platinum Operator' award from the Communications, Space, and Technology Commission for the eighth consecutive year, as highlighted in the annual GameMode report. 'With its continued investment and innovation, stc reaffirms its position as a key enabler of digital transformation and a driving force in the growth of esports in the Kingdom,' the group said. 'Through strategic infrastructure expansion and smart technologies, stc ensures a secure, fully connected, and globally competitive digital experience at EWC 2025 and beyond.'
