Abu Dhabi: Clubs, players, referees and even the police have been gearing up for the first ever UAE Professional League.

Millions of dirhams have been spent by clubs on bringing in players to help them challenge for the title or merely survive in the brave new world.

But it is not just the quality of the players that would make the new league a success - top players need top officials.

Referees have been preparing for the new season with a month-long training camp in Europe which included physical training, lectures and matches.

Fareed Ali, Fifa referee, said: "We are ready for the new season and I am confident that the referees will achieve great success in officiating the matches."

In order to prepare for the new season, the FA Referees Committee appointed former Fifa referee Jamal Al Ghondoor of Egypt as secretary of the committee.

Al Ghondoor officiated in the World Cup finals in 1998 and 2002.

Extra security

Even the police has announced extra security measures for the coming season.

Plain-clothed officers will mix with crowd during the game in a bid to spot anyone causing a problem.

Police have also prohibited the use of loudspeakers in the stands and black points will be given out for bad behaviour.

The summer has also seen a great deal of transfer activity with sweeping changes to the system allowing players more opportunity to move between clubs.

Previously players could not leave their team unless the club agreed for them to leave.

The best example of the transfer restrictions was Adnan Al Talyani, who was one of the UAE's best player.

He spent all of his career at Al Shaab and despite other clubs offering record deals for the player his club refused to allow him to move.

Under the new regulations, Al Shaab sold their international left wingback Saif Mohammad to Al Ain, one of the clubs that wanted Al Talyani, last month for Dhs 10million.

His move was just one of numerous transfers over the summer that also saw the arrival of some high profile players from foreign clubs.

Overseas players

Al Jazira bought Rafael Sobis, the young Brazilian striker from Real Betis in Spain, while Al Ain signed Jorge Valdivia, who yesterday joined his new teammates for training after playing in the World Cup qualifiers.

Hamad Al Suwaidi, the supervisor of football at Al Jazira, told Gulf News: "To win the first UAE Pro-League, we have to be better than our opponents and that means we should have the best qualified players whether local or foreigners.

"I expect a tough and exhausting competition."