Saudi First Division League

The First Division League (FDL; Arabic: دوري الدرجة الأولى), known as Yelo league for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of professional football in Saudi Arabia. The First Division League is ranked below the Saudi Pro League and above the Saudi Second Division League in the Saudi Arabian football league system.

First Division League

Organising body	Saudi Arabia Football Federation (SAFF)
Founded	1976 (1976)
Country	Saudi Arabia
Confederation	AFC
Number of teams	18 (since 2022–23)
Level on pyramid	2
Promotion to	Saudi Pro League
Relegation to	Saudi Second Division League
Domestic cup(s)	King's Cup
International cup(s)	AFC Champions League Two (via winning the King's Cup)
Current champions	Al-Qadsiah (4th titles) (2023–24 season)
Most championships	Hajer Al-Wehda Al-Qadsiah (4 titles each)
Top goalscorer	Ousmane Barry (108 goals)
TV partners	Riyadiya
Website	https://fdl.sa/
Current: 2024–25 First Division League

Hajer, Al-Wehda and Al-Qadsiah 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.

Competition format

The top two teams are promoted to the Saudi Pro League directly, a play-off system to determine the third team to be promoted along side the two. Teams placed between third and sixth position took 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 Second Division.

Current clubs

For details on the FDL League 2024–25 season, see here.

Stadium and locations

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Abha

Al-Adalah

Al-Ain

Al-Arabi
Al-Najma

Al-Batin

Al-Bukiryah

Al-Faisaly

Al-Hazem

Al-Jabalain
Al-Tai

Al-Jandal

Al-Jubail

Al-Safa

Al-Zulfi

Jeddah

Neom

Ohod

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Locations of teams in the 2024–25 First Division League

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Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.

Team	Location	Stadium	Capacity
Abha	Abha	Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium	20,000
Al-Adalah	Al-Hasa	Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium Hajer Club Stadium	26,000 12,000
Al-Ain	Al Atawlah	King Saud Sport City Stadium	10,000
Al-Arabi	Unaizah	Department of Education Stadium	10,000
Al-Batin	Hafar al-Batin	Al-Batin Club Stadium	6,000
Al-Bukiryah	Al Bukayriyah	Al-Bukiryah Club Stadium	5,000
Al-Faisaly	Harmah	Al Majma'ah Sports City (Al Majma'ah)	7,000
Al-Hazem	Ar Rass	Al-Hazem Club Stadium	8,000
Al-Jabalain	Ha'il	Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium	12,250
Al-Jandal	Dumat al-Jandal	Al-Orobah Club Stadium (Sakakah)	7,000
Al-Jubail	Jubail	Al-Jubail Club Stadium	3,000
Al-Najma	Unaizah	Department of Education Stadium Al-Najma Club Stadium	10,000 7,000
Al-Safa	Safwa	Al-Safa Club Stadium Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium (Khobar) Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium (Dammam)	3,000 15,000 26,000
Al-Tai	Ha'il	Prince Abdulaziz bin Musa'ed Sports City	12,000
Al-Zulfi	Al Zulfi	Al-Zulfi Club Stadium	3,080
Jeddah Club	Jeddah	Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium Sports Hall at King Abdullah Sports City	27,000 1,000
Neom SC	Tabuk	King Khalid Sport City Stadium	12,000
Ohod	Medina	Ohod Club Stadium	5,000

League rules

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

Champions

Champions and Runners-up

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 held1 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

Season Winners Runners-up 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 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

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

Season Winners Runners-up 2021–22 Al-Khaleej Al-Adalah 2022–23 Al-Ahli Al-Hazem 2023–24 Al-Qadsiah Al-Orobah

Note

¹First Division and Premier League were merged in 1981–82 of concern for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification process.

Performance by club

Club	Winners	Winning years
Hajer	4	1988, 1998, 2011, 2014
Al-Wehda	4	1983, 1996, 2003, 2018
Al-Qadsiah	4	2002, 2009, 2015, 2024
Al-Nahda	3	1977, 1991, 1993
Al-Tai	3	1985, 1995, 2001
Ohod	3	1981, 1984, 2004
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
Al-Ahli	1	2023

Top scorers

Nat.	Top Scorers	Club	Season	Goals
	Mbaye Diagne	Al-Qadsiah	2023–2024	26
	Ablaye Mbengue	Al-Arabi	2022–2023	29
	Carolus Andria	Ohod	2021–2022	25
	Ibrahim Diomandé	Ohod	2020–2021	24
	Ousmane Barry	Al-Bukiryah	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-Tai	2013–2014	20
	Mousa Madkhali	Hetten	2012–2013	22
	Younes Alaiwi	Al-Batin	2011–2012	21
	Hussain Al-Turki	Al-Khaleej	2010–2011	20
	Hussain Al-Turki	Al-Khaleej	2009–2010	16
	Mohammad Al-Sahlawi Mohammad Alhelo	Al-Qadsiah Sdoos	2008–2009	15
	Khalid Al Rejaib	Hajer	2007–2008	9
	Al-Hasan Al-Yami	Najran	2006–2007	20
	Mubarak Al Khaleefah	Al-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
	Mohammed Abuarad	Abha	2000–2001	14
	Mohammed Harshan	Najran	1999–2000	11
	Mubarak Al Khaleefah	Al-Rawdhah	1998–1999	13
			1997–1998
	Mousa Sahab	Al-Taawoun	1996–1997
	Obeid Al-Dosari	Al-Wehda	1995–1996
	Yehey Jako	Al-Tai	1994–1995	11
	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
	Walid Sharqi	Al-Ansar	1984–1985
	Mohamed Al-Suwaiyed	Damac	1983–1984	11
	Shaye Al-Nafisah	Al-Kawkab	1982–1983	12
-	-	-	1981–1982 First Division and Premier League were merged in 1981–82 out of concern for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification process.	-
	Abdullah Al-Mansour	Al-Taawoun	1980–1981	9
	Daran Al Daran	Al-Jabalain	1979–1980	16
			1978–1979
			1977–1978
			1976–1977

Sponsorship

• Yelo league (2021–Present)

See also

• Saudi Arabia Football Federation
• List of football stadiums in Saudi Arabia
• Saudi Professional League

External links

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