Saudi First Division League

The First Division League (FDL^[1] for short), also called the Yelo league for sponsorship reasons,^[2] is the second tier of professional football in Saudi Arabia. The First Division League is ranked below the Saudi Professional League and above the Saudi Second Division in the Saudi Arabian football league system. All of the FDL clubs qualify for the King Cup, the annual Saudi Cup competition. Al-Hazem are the most recent champions, winning their second title during the 2020–21 season.

First Division League

Organising body	Saudi Arabia Football Federation (SAFF)
Founded	1976; 47 years ago (1976)
Country	Saudi Arabia
Confederation	AFC
Number of teams	18
Level on pyramid	2
Promotion to	Professional League
Relegation to	Second Division
Domestic cup(s)	King Cup
Current champions	Al-Khaleej (2nd title) (2021–22 season)
Most championships	Hajer Al-Wehda (4 titles each)
TV partners	KSA Sports
Current: 2022–23 First Division

The number of clubs in the league has changed throughout history, most recently in the 2018–19 season, when the number of clubs increased from 16 to 20. Since the 2019–20 season, three clubs from the First Division are directly promoted to the Pro League; on the other hand, four clubs are directly relegated to the Second Division.^[3]

Hajer and Al-Wehda hold the record number of championships in the league with four. While Ohod holds the record for number of promotions from the First Division to the Pro League, nine.^[4]

Promotion and relegation

The top three teams are promoted to the Professional League directly, while the bottom three teams are relegated to the Second Division.

List of teams (2020–21 season)

For details on the MS League 2020–21 season, see here.

 

 

Al-Adalah
Al-Jeel
Al-Nojoom
Hajer

 

Al-Bukayriyah

 

Al-Diriyah

 

Al-Fayha

 

Al-Hazem

 

Al-Jabalain
Al-Tai

 

Al-Kawkab
Al-Shoulla

 

Al-Khaleej

 

Al-Nahda

 

Al-Sahel

 

Al-Thoqbah

 

Arar

 

Jeddah

 

Najran

 

Ohod

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Locations of teams in the 2020–21 MS League

Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.

Team	Location	Stadium	Capacity
Al-Adalah	Al-Hasa (Al-Hulaylah)	Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium Al-Fateh Club Stadium	26,000^[5] 7,000
Al-Bukayriyah	Al Bukayriyah	Al-Bukayriyah Club Stadium	3,000^[6]
Al-Diriyah	Diriyah	Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz Stadium (Riyadh)	15,000^[7]
Al-Fayha	Al Majma'ah	Al Majma'ah Sports City	7,000^[8]
Al-Hazem	Ar Rass	Al-Hazem Club Stadium	8,000^[9]
Al-Jabalain	Ha'il	Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium	12,000^[10]
Al-Jeel	Al-Hasa (Hofuf)	Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium Al-Fateh Club Stadium	26,000 7,000
Al-Kawkab	Al-Kharj	Al-Shoulla Club Stadium	5,200^[11]
Al-Khaleej	Saihat	Al-Khaleej Club Stadium	10,000^[12]
Al-Nahda	Dammam	Prince Fahd bin Salman Stadium	15,000^[13]
Al-Nojoom	Al-Hasa (Al-Shuqaiq)	Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium	26,000
Al-Sahel	Anak	Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium (Khobar)	15,000^[14]
Al-Shoulla	Al-Kharj	Al-Shoulla Club Stadium	5,200
Al-Tai	Ha'il	Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium	12,000
Al-Thoqbah	Khobar	Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium	15,000
Arar	Arar	Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Musa'ed Sport City Stadium	5,650^[15]
Hajer	Al-Hasa (Hofuf)	Hajer Club Stadium Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium	12,000^[16] 26,000
Jeddah	Jeddah	Reserve Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City	1,000^[17]
Najran	Najran	Najran Sport City Stadium	18,000
Ohod	Medina	Prince Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz Stadium	24,000^[18]

League rules

Since the 2018–19 season the number of foreign players in the league was increased from 3 to 7.^[19] Seven substitutes are permitted to be selected, from which three can be used in the duration of the game.

Club performances

Promotions by season

 

Al-Najma vs Al-Riyadh in 2010–11 Saudi First Division

Season Winners Runners-up 1976–77 Al-Nahda Al-Ettifaq 1977–78 Al-Riyadh Al-Tai 1978–79 Al-Shabab Ohod 1979–80 Al-Jabalain Al-Riyadh 1980–81 Ohod Al-Rawdhah 1981–82 Not held^1 1982–83 Al-Wehda Al-Riyadh 1983–84 Ohod Al-Jabalain 1984–85 Al-Tai Al-Kawkab 1985–86 Al-Ansar Al-Raed 1986–87 Al-Kawkab Ohod 1987–88 Hajer Al-Rawdhah 1988–89 Al-Riyadh Al-Raed 1989–90 Al-Najma Al-Arabi 1990–91 Al-Nahda Ohod 1991–92 Al-Raed Al-Najma 1992–93 Al-Nahda Ohod 1993–94 Al-Najma Al-Rawdhah 1994–95 Al-Tai Al-Taawoun 1995–96 Al-Wehda Al-Ansar 1996–97 Al-Taawoun Al-Shoulla

Season Winners Runners-up 1997–98 Hajer Al-Ansar 1998–99 Sdoos Al-Raed 1999–2000 Al-Ansar Al-Qadsiah 2000–01 Al-Tai Al-Shoulla 2001–02 Al-Qadsiah Al-Raed 2002–03 Al-Wehda Al-Khaleej 2003–04 Ohod Al-Ansar 2004–05 Al-Hazem Abha 2005–06 Al-Khaleej Al-Faisaly 2006–07 Al-Watani Najran 2007–08 Al-Raed Abha 2008–09 Al-Qadsiah Al Fateh 2009–10 Al-Faisaly Al-Taawoun 2010–11 Hajer Al-Ansar 2011–12 Al-Shoulla Al-Wehda 2012–13 Al-Orobah Al-Nahda 2013–14 Hajer Al-Khaleej 2014–15 Al-Qadsiah Al-Wehda 2015–16 Al-Ettifaq Al-Batin 2016–17 Al-Fayha Ohod 2017–18 Al-Wehda Al-Hazem

Season Winners Runners-up 2018–19 Abha Damac 2019–20 Al-Batin Al-Qadsiah 2020–21 Al-Hazem Al-Fayha 2021–22 Al-Khaleej Al-Adalah

Note

¹First Division and Premier League were merged in 1981–82.

Performance by club

Club	Winners	Winning years
Hajer	4	1988, 1998, 2011, 2014
Al-Wehda	4	1983, 1996, 2003, 2018
Al-Nahda	3	1977, 1991, 1993
Al-Tai	3	1985, 1995, 2001
Ohod	3	1981, 1984, 2004
Al-Qadsiah	3	2002, 2009, 2015
Al-Riyadh	2	1978, 1989
Al-Najma	2	1990, 1994
Al-Ansar	2	1986, 2000
Al-Raed	2	1992, 2008
Al-Hazem	2	2005, 2021
Al-Khaleej	2	2006, 2022
Al-Shabab	1	1979
Al-Jabalain	1	1980
Al-Kawkab	1	1987
Al-Taawoun	1	1997
Sdoos	1	1999
Al-Watani	1	2007
Al-Faisaly	1	2010
Al-Shoulla	1	2012
Al-Orobah	1	2013
Al-Ettifaq	1	2016
Al-Fayha	1	2017
Abha	1	2019
Al-Batin	1	2020

Top scorers

Nat.	Top Scorers	Club	Season	Goals
	Carolus Andria	Ohod Club	2021–2022	25
	Ibrahim Diomandé	Ohod Club	2020–2021	24
	Ousmane Barry	Al-Bukiryah FC	2019–2020	27
	Carolus Andria	Al-Adalah	2018–2019	22
	Mashari Al-Enezi	Al-Tai	2017–2018	21
	Abdulfattah Adam	Al Jeel	2016–2017	20
	Abdulfattah Adam	Al Jeel	2015–2016	20
	Mousa Madkhali	Al-Wehda	2014–2015	20
	Hamad Al-Juhaim	Al-Ta'ee	2013–2014	20
	Mousa Madkhali	Hetten	2012–2013	22
	Younes Alaiwi	Al-Batin	2011–2012	21
	Hussain Al-Turki	Khaleej	2010–2011	20
	Hussain Al-Turki	Khaleej	2009–2010	16
	Mohammad Al-Sahlawi Mohammad Alhelo	Al-Qadsiah Sdoos	2008–2009	15^[20]
	Khalid Al Rejaib	Hajer	2007–2008	9
	Al Hasan Al-Yami	Najran	2006–2007	20
	Mubarak Al Khaleefah	Khaleej	2005–2006	18
	Mohammed Abuarad	Abha	2004–2005	19
	Mohammed Abuarad	Abha	2003–2004	15
	Mohammed Abuarad	Abha	2002–2003	16
	Mohammed Manga	Sdoos	2001–2002	12^[21]
	Mohammed Abuarad	Abha	2000–2001	14
	Mohammed Harshan	Najran	1999–2000	11
	Mubarak Al Khaleefah	Al-Rawdhah	1998–1999	13^[22]
			1997–1998
	Mousa Sahab	Al-Taawoun	1996–1997
	Obeid Al-Dosari	Al-Wehda	1995–1996
	Yehey Jako	Al-Ta'ee	1994–1995	11^[23]
	Khalid Al-Mansour	Al-Arabi	1993–1994	15
	Hamzah Idris	Ohod	1992–93	10
	Sulaiman Al Hadaithi Mohamed Al Khalifa Nasser Al-Qahtani	Al-Najma Hajer Al-Rawdhah	1991–1992	11
	Ahmed Al-Zaaq	Al-Taawoun	1990–1991	11
	Khalid Al-Mansour Hamzah Idris	Al-Arabi Ohod	1989–1990	11
	Khalid Al-Mansour	Al-Arabi	1988–1989	14
	Khalid Al-Mansour Fahd Al-Hamdan	Al-Arabi Al-Riyadh	1987–1988	11
	Khalid Al-Mansour	Al-Arabi	1986–1987	16
	Abdullah Al Saab	Al-Fayha	1985–1986	8^[24]
	Walid Sharqi	Al-Ansar	1984–1985
	Mohamed Al-Suwaiyed	Damac	1983–1984	11
	Shaye Al-Nafisah	Al-Kawkab	1982–1983	12
			1981–1982 1First Division and Premier League were merged
	Abdullah Al-Mansour	Al-Taawoun	1980–1981	9
	Daran Al Daran	Al-Jabalain	1979–1980	16^[25]
			1978–1979
			1977–1978
			1976–1977

See also

• Saudi Arabia Football Federation

References

1. Official SAFF site in English（also known as Saudi League 1st Division）
2. Official SAFF site in English
3. تنفيذاً لقرار مجلس ادارة الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم بزيادة عدد الأندية في الموسم المقبل: (in Arabic). SAFF. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
4. "سجل الفائزين". Retrieved 17 May 2019.
5. "Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium".
6. "Albukiryah Club Stadium".
7. "Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz Stadium".
8. "ALMajma`a City Stadium".
9. "Alhazm Club Stadium".
10. "استاد الأمير عبدالعزيز بن مساعد بن جلوي". kooora.com. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
11. "al shoulla stadium".
12. "ملعب نادي الخليج - AlKhaleej Club Stadium".
13. "Prince Fahad bin Salman Stadium".
14. "استاد مدينة الأمير سعود بن جلوي الرياضية (الراكة)".
15. "أمير الحدود الشمالية يفتتح مدينة الأمير عبدالله بن عبدالعزيز بن مساعد الرياضية الأربعاء القادم".
16. "نادي هجر النموذجي".
17. "www.slstat.com/spl2015-2016en/stadium.php?id=24". slstat.com. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
18. "Prince Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz Stadium".
19. "10 ملايين و7 أجانب في دوري الأمير محمد بن سلمان". 24 February 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
20. alriyadh 12 May 2009 issue 14932 (in Arabic)
21. Al Jazirah 30 Mar 2002 issue 10775 (in Arabic)
22. Al Jazirah 5 Mar 1999 issue 9654 (in Arabic)
23. Al Jazirah 2 Apr 1995 issue 8211 (in Arabic)
24. Al Jazirah 7 Mar 1986 issue 4908 (in Arabic)
25. Al Jazirah 7 April 1980 issue 2819 (in Arabic)

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saudi First Division.

• Saudi Arabia Football Federation
• Saudi Arabia First Division - Hailoosport.com (Arabic)
• Saudi Arabia First Division - Hailoosport.com