Saudi First Division League

First Division League
Organising body	Saudi Arabia Football Federation (SAFF)
Founded	1976; 46 years ago
Country	Saudi Arabia
Confederation	AFC
Number of teams	20
Level on pyramid	2
Promotion to	Professional League
Relegation to	Second Division
Domestic cup(s)	King Cup
Current champions	Al-Hazem (2nd title) ; (2020–21 season)
Most championships	Hajer; Al-Wehda; (4 titles each)
TV partners	KSA Sports
	Current: 2021–22 First Division

The First Division League (FDL for short) , also known as the Saudi League 1st Division,^[1] 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. The league was known as the Prince Mohammad bin Salman League from 2017 until 2021. 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.

The number of clubs in the league have 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.^[2]

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.^[3]

Promotion and relegation[]

The top three teams are promoted to the Professional League directly. While the bottom four 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-Kawkab
Al-Shoulla

Al-Sahel

Arar

Locations of teams in the 2020–21 MS League

Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.

Team	Location	Stadium	Capacity
Al-Adalah	Al-Hasa ()	Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium	26,000^[4] 7,000
Al-Bukayriyah	Al Bukayriyah	Al-Bukayriyah Club Stadium	3,000^[5]
Al-Diriyah	Diriyah	Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz Stadium (Riyadh)	15,000^[6]
Al-Fayha	Al Majma'ah	Al Majma'ah Sports City	7,000^[7]
Al-Hazem	Ar Rass	Al-Hazem Club Stadium	8,000^[8]
Al-Jabalain	Ha'il	Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium	12,000^[9]
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^[10]
Al-Khaleej	Saihat		10,000^[11]
Al-Nahda	Dammam		15,000^[12]
Al-Nojoom	Al-Hasa ()	Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium	26,000
Al-Sahel	Anak	Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium (Khobar)	15,000^[13]
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		5,650^[14]
Hajer	Al-Hasa (Hofuf)	Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium	12,000^[15] 26,000
Jeddah	Jeddah	Reserve Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City	1,000^[16]
Najran	Najran		18,000
Ohod	Medina	Prince Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz Stadium	24,000^[17]

League rules[]

Since the 2018–19 season the number of foreign players in the league was increased from 3 to 7.^[18] 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
	Al-Nahda	Al-Ettifaq
	Al-Riyadh	Al-Tai
	Al-Shabab	Ohod
	Al-Jabalain	Al-Riyadh
	Ohod	Al-Rawdhah
1981–82	Not held¹
	Al-Wehda	Al-Riyadh
	Ohod	Al-Jabalain
	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
	Al-Tai	Al-Shoulla
	Al-Qadsiah	Al-Raed
	Al-Wehda	Al-Khaleej
	Ohod	Al-Ansar
	Al-Hazem	Abha
	Al-Khaleej	Al-Faisaly
	Al-Watani	Najran
	Al-Raed	Abha
	Al-Qadsiah	Al Fateh
	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

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-Shabab	1	1979
Al-Jabalain	1	1980
Al-Kawkab	1	1987
Al-Taawoun	1	1997
Sdoos	1	1999
Al-Khaleej	1	2006
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[]

Top Scorers	Club	Season	Goals
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		16
Mohammad Al-Sahlawi	Al-Qadsiah Sdoos		15^[19]
	Hajer		9
Al Hasan Al-Yami	Najran		20
	Khaleej		18
	Abha		19
	Abha		15
	Abha		16
Mohammed Manga	Sdoos		12^[20]
	Abha		14
	Najran	1999–2000	11
	Al-Rawdhah	1998–1999	13^[21]
		1997–1998
	Al-Taawoun	1996–1997
Obeid Al-Dosari	Al-Wehda	1995–1996
	Al-Ta'ee	1994–1995	11^[22]
Khalid Al-Mansour	Al-Arabi	1993–1994	15
Hamzah Idris	Ohod	1992–93	10
	Al-Najma Hajer Al-Rawdhah	1991–1992	11
	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	Al-Arabi Al-Riyadh	1987–1988	11
Khalid Al-Mansour	Al-Arabi	1986–1987	16
Abdullah Al Saab	Al-Fayha	1985–1986	8^[23]
	Al-Ansar
	Damac		11
Shaye Al-Nafisah	Al-Kawkab		12
		1981–1982 1First Division and Premier League were merged
	Al-Taawoun		9
	Al-Jabalain		16^[24]

References[]

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

External links[]

[1] Official SAFF site in English

[twitter.com-2] تنفيذاً لقرار مجلس ادارة الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم بزيادة عدد الأندية في الموسم المقبل: (in Arabic). SAFF. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.

[3] "سجل الفائزين". Retrieved 17 May 2019.

[Hasa_Stad-4] "Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium".

[5] "Albukiryah Club Stadium".

[6] "Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz Stadium".

[7] "ALMajma`a City Stadium".

[8] "Alhazm Club Stadium".

[kooora4-9] "استاد الأمير عبدالعزيز بن مساعد بن جلوي". kooora.com. Retrieved 18 September 2018.

[al_shoulla-10] "al shoulla stadium".

[11] "ملعب نادي الخليج - AlKhaleej Club Stadium".

[12] "Prince Fahad bin Salman Stadium".

[rakkah-13] "استاد مدينة الأمير سعود بن جلوي الرياضية (الراكة)".

[14] "أمير الحدود الشمالية يفتتح مدينة الأمير عبدالله بن عبدالعزيز بن مساعد الرياضية الأربعاء القادم".

[15] "نادي هجر النموذجي".

[slstat6-16] "www.slstat.com/spl2015-2016en/stadium.php?id=24". slstat.com. Retrieved 18 September 2018.

[17] "Prince Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz Stadium".

[18] "10 ملايين و7 أجانب في دوري الأمير محمد بن سلمان". 24 February 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.

[19] riyadh 12 May 2009 issue 14932 (in Arabic)

[20] Al Jazirah 30 Mar 2002 issue 10775 (in Arabic)

[21] Al Jazirah 5 Mar 1999 issue 9654 (in Arabic)

[22] Al Jazirah 2 Apr 1995 issue 8211 (in Arabic)

[23] Al Jazirah 7 Mar 1986 issue 4908 (in Arabic)

[24] Al Jazirah 7 April 1980 issue 2819 (in Arabic)

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