Kuwait Premier League

Kuwait Premier League

Founded	1961; 61 years ago (1961)
Country	Kuwait
Confederation	AFC
Number of teams	10
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Kuwaiti Division One
Domestic cup(s)	Kuwait Emir Cup Kuwait Crown Prince Cup Kuwait Federation Cup
International cup(s)	AFC Cup UAFA Club Championship
Current champions	Al-Arabi SC (17th title) (2020–21)
Most championships	Al-Arabi SC Al Qadsia SC (17 titles each)
TV partners	KTV Sport Al-Kass
Current: 2021–22 Kuwaiti Premier League

The Kuwait Premier League (Arabic: الدوري الكويتي, romanized: Dawriyy al-Kuwaytī), known as STC Premier League due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of the Kuwait football pyramid system. Formed in 1961, Al-Arabi and Qadsia both hold the best record in the competition, having won 17 times.

History[]

The Kuwaiti league officially began in the 1961/62 season, after playing unofficially for eight years (played with group of clubs: "Ahli - Al Jazeera - Arabism - Gulf - Solidarity - Al-Qubali, Al-Nahda, Al-Sharqai, Al-Merqab, Al-Mawalim and Al-Taawon). National companies and ministries were club's first sponsors.

1960s[]

In the 1961/1962 season, several new clubs joined (Al-Arabi, Qadsia, Kuwait SC, Kifan High School, Shuwaikh Secondary School, Industrial College and Police Team). Al-Arabi won the league title without losing, and winning 7 points ahead of Qadsia, scoring 42 goals and conceding 10.

In the following season, the number of teams was reduced to 7. Al-Arabi managed to win the second title in a row after winning 18 points ahead of Qadsia, scoring 45 goals and conceding 6.

The third season of the league almost witnessed the end of Arabi monopoly, after fierce competition from Qadsia and other teams. Arabi and Qadsia were equal on points before the decisive match. Arabi managed to maintain the title after defeating Qadsia 2-0, scoring overall 42 goals and conceding nine.

In the fourth season, school teams were removed from participating and league saw participation of 3 new clubs (Salmiya, Fahaheel and Al-Shabab). The Kuwait Club managed to end the Arabi monopoly to achieve its first title, after winning the competition without any defeat.

The 1960s witnessed a sweep of the Arabi club when it won six titles against two titles for Kuwait and a title for Qadsia.

1970s[]

The 1970 era began with Qadsia's winning the 1971/1970 season, for the second time in its history. Al-Arabi lost its championship in a strange way during ten years. They did not win any title during this period until the end of the 1979/1980 season.

1980s[]

The eighties witnessed three new league champions, namely Al-Salmiya who won its first title in the 1980/81 season, and Kazma club which won the titles of 1985/86 and 1986/87, as well as Jahra club, which ended the 1980s by winning the title.

1990s[]

The league championship was not held in the 1990–91 season because of Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Competition began again in the 1991–92 season, which was held as group system with qualification. Old format returned with participation of 14 teams in the 1994–95 season. Era of the nineties witnessed a parity between clubs, where both Al-Arabi and Al-Salmiya won 3 titles, and Qadsia and Kazma two.

2000s[]

At the beginning of a new millennium, Kuwait SC achieved the league championship after a long absence of 22 years, followed by victory of Al-Arabi for the sixteenth time in its history in the 2001–02 season. Since then until 2020–21 season, Qadsia has won nine titles while Kuwait Club won five. Al-Arabi was able to break their dominance and win the mentioned season title.

Kuwaiti Premier League clubs (2020–21)[]

• Al Arabi
• Al Fahaheel
• Al Kuwait
• Al-Nasr
• Al Qadsia
• Al Sahel
• Al Salmiyah
• Al Shabab
• Kazma
• Khaitan

Source:^[1]

Previous winners[]

Source:^[2]

By season[]

Most titles[]

Club	Titles	Seasons
Al-Arabi	17	1961��62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1969–70, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1979–88, 1988–89, 1992–93, 1996–97, 2001–02, 2020–21
Qadsia	17	1968–69, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1991–92, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2015–16
Kuwait SC	16	1964–65, 1967–68, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1976–77, 1978–79, 2000–01, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
Kazma	4	1985–86, 1986–87, 1993–94, 1995–96
Al-Salmiya	4	1980–81, 1994–95, 1997–98, 1999–2000
Al-Jahra	1	1989–90

Total titles won by Governorate[]

Governorate	Number of titles	Clubs
Al Asimah	37	Al-Arabi (17), Kuwait SC (16), Kazma (4)
Hawalli	21	Qadsia (17), Al-Salmiya (4)
Jahra	1	Al-Jahra SC (1)

Topscorers[]

Year[3]	Top scorers	Team	Goals
1991–92	Jassem Al Houwaidi	Al-Salmiya	10
1995–96	Jassem Al Houwaidi Carlos Branco	Al-Salmiya Kazma	6
1999–2000	Bashar Abdullah	Al-Salmiya	11
2000–01	Faraj Laheeb Bashar Abdullah	Kuwait Al-Salmiya	10
2001–02		Kazma	10
2003–04	Khalaf Al Salamah	Qadsia	12
2004–05	Firas Al Khatib	Al-Arabi	13
2005–06	Hamad Al Harbi	Al-Fahaheel	22
2006–07	Bashar Abdullah	Kuwait	10
2007–08	Ahmad Ajab	Qadsia	14
2008–09	Careca	Kuwait	13
2009–10	Ismail Al Ajmi	Kuwait	13
2010–11	Firas Al Khatib	Qadsia	14
2011–12	Vinícius Lopes	Al-Jahra	9
2012–13	Rogerinho	Kuwait	11
2013–14	Omar Al Soma	Qadsia	23[4]
2014–15	Patrick Fabiano	Kazma	22[5]
2015–16	Firas Al Khatib	Al-Arabi	23[6]
2016–17	David da Silva	Qadsia	14[7]
2017–18	Faisal Ajab	Al Tadhamon	15
2018–19	Hussain Al-Musawi	Al-Arabi	17
2019–20	Yousef Nasser Patrick Fabiano	Kuwait Al-Salmiya	14
2020–21	Oday Dabbagh	Al-Arabi	13

Participation by the years[]

Notes:

• 1979–80 to 1984–85: Kuwaiti Division One was Stopped.
• 1991–92: all Clubs participated after the Gulf War
• 1994–95: Kuwaiti Division One was Stopped.
• 1996–97: Qadsia SC Withdrew.
• 2013–14 to 2014–15: Kuwaiti Division One was Stopped.
• 2015–16: Al Tadhamon SC Withdrew.

References[]

External links[]

• Kuwait: VIVA Premier League Fixtures and Results at FIFA
• xscores.com Kuwait Premier League
• goalzz.com - Kuwaiti League