UAE Pro League: Defending champions Shabab Al Ahli start campaign against Ajman on August 18-19

Abu Dhabi: Defending champions Shabab Al Ahli will kick off their ADNOC Pro League campaign against Ajman at Rashid Bin Saeed Stadium on August 18 and 19, the league announced on Friday.

The matchweek one of Pro League, which concludes on May 26, will see matchups between Khorfakkan and Hatta, Al Nasr and Al Jazira, Ittihad Kalba, and Sharjah, Al Wasl and the Emirates, Al Ain, and Bani Yas, while Al Wahda face off Al Bataeh. The second round of this matchweek will take place on February 23 and 24.

Competition and format explained

Meanwhile, defending champions Sharjah and Shabab Al Ahli have been given quarterfinals berths in the AI-powered draw for the ADIB Cup. In line with the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, the ADIB Cup draw took place by using AI program ‘ChatGPT’ for the first time in the region, as the robot Pepper participated in the draw ceremony for the tournament, and explained the competition format and the draw mechanism at Sea World Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Fixtures of ADIB Cup’s first round, gameweek one, kick off with Al Wasl vs. Hatta, Bani Yas vs. Al Jazira, while Al Wahda host Emirates and Khorfakkan welcome Ittihad Kalba. Meanwhile, Ajman clash against Al Nasr, while Al Bataeh face off Al Ain.

Fixtures of gameweek one, gameweek two, quarterfinals, and semifinals will be played over a two-legged format, while the final will take place over a one-legged match.

The high-profile event was attended by distinguished guests including the Chairman of the UAE Pro League Abdulla Naser Al Jneibi, board members, sponsors, professional club representatives and media personnel.

Progressive evolution of Pro League

In his opening remarks, Al Jneibi underscored the UAE Pro League’s ambition for progressive evolution from one season to the next, backed by the robust support of the UAE’s leadership. This forward momentum is part of achieving the objectives of the Pro League’s 2020-2030 strategic plan.

“We’ve committed to upholding absolute transparency and precision for the new season’s draw. Our state-of-the-art smart electronic system determines the matchweeks for the ADNOC Pro League. Furthermore, for the first time, we used AI to decide the ADIB Cup draw, exemplifying our alignment with the UAE’s ambitious 2031 AI strategy,” Al Jneibi elaborated.

“Our primary aim remains to achieve the maximum balance for everyone, according to the set schedule, and distributing matches in the most optimal way possible during the forthcoming season.”

ADNOC Pro League smart match scheduling system:

Matchweek one — August 18-19: Shabab Al Ahli kick vs Ajman, Khorfakkan vs Hatta, Al Nasr vs Al Jazira, Ittihad Kalba vs Sharjah, Al Wasl vs Emirates, Al Ain vs Bani Yas, Al Wahda vs Al Bataeh. Second round of this matchweek will take place on February 23-24.

Matchweek two — August 25-27: Hatta vs. Al Ain, Shabab Al Ahli vs. Khorfakkan, Emirates vs. Ajman, Al Bataeh vs. Ittihad Kalba, Al Jazira vs. Al Wahda, Bani Yas vs. Al Nasr, Sharjah vs. Al Wasl. Second round of these fixtures will be held on March 2-3.

Matchweek three — September 22 and 23: Khorfakkan vs. Emirates, Al Nasr vs. Sharjah, Al Ain vs. Ajman, Ittihad Kalba vs. Al Jazira, Al Bataeh vs. Shabab Al Ahli, Al Wahda vs. Hatta and Al Wasl vs. Bani Yas. Second round on March 8-9.

Matchweek four — September 28-30: Sharjah vs. Al Ain, Al Jazira vs. Al Bataeh, Shabab Al Ahli vs. Al Wahda, Bani Yas vs. Emirates, Khorfakkan vs. Al Wasl, Hatta vs. Al Nasr and Ajman vs. Ittihad Kalba. Second round on March 13-14.

Matchweek five — October 6-8: Bani Yas vs. Al Wahda, Ittihad Kalba vs. Hatta, Al Wasl vs. Ajman, Emirates vs. Sharjah, Al Jazira vs. Shabab Al Ahli, Al Nasr vs. Al Ain and Al Bataeh vs. Khorfakkan. Second round on April 4-5.

Matchweek six — October 27-28: Al Wahda vs. Ittihad Kalba, Al Bataeh vs. Ajman, Al Ain vs. Emirates, Shabab Al Ahli vs. Al Nasr, Sharjah vs. Bani Yas, Khorfakkan vs. Al Jazira and Hatta vs. Al Wasl. Second round on April 16-17.

Matchweek seven — November 2-4: Bani Yas vs. Khorfakkan, Al Wasl vs. Al Ain, Al Jazira vs. Sharjah, Ittihad Kalba vs. Shabab Al Ahli, Ajman vs. Al Wahda, Al Nasr vs. Al Bataeh and Emirates vs. Hatta. Second round on April 21-22.

Matchweek eight — November 25-26: Hatta vs. Bani Yas, Al Bataeh vs. Sharjah, Ittihad Kalba vs. Al Nasr, Khorfakkan vs. Ajman, Al Jazira vs. Al Wasl, Shabab Al Ahli vs. Al Ain and Al Wahda vs. Emirates. Second round on April 30-May 1.

Matchweek nine — December 1-2: Sharjah vs. Shabab Al Ahli, Al Ain vs. Khorfakkan, Al Nasr vs. Al Wahda, Al Wasl vs. Al Bataeh, Ajman vs. Hatta, Emirates vs. Ittihad Kalba and Bani Yas vs. Al Jazira. Second round on May 4-5.

Matchweek 10 — December 8 and 9: Al Jazira vs. Ajman, Shabab Al Ahli vs. Emirates, Ittihad Kalba vs. Al Ain, Khorfakkan vs. Al Nasr, Al Wahda vs. Al Wasl, Hatta vs. Sharjah, and Al Bataeh vs. Bani Yas. Second round on May 12-14.

Matchweek 11 — December 15-16: Al Ain vs. Al Wahda, Bani Yas vs. Shabab Al Ahli, Sharjah vs. Khorfakkan, Al Wasl vs. Ittihad Kalba, Hatta vs. Al Bataeh, Ajman vs. Al Nasr and Emirates vs. Al Jazira. Second round on May 17-18.

Matchweek 12 — December 23-24: Al Jazira vs. Hatta, Khorfakkan vs. Al Wahda, Bani Yas vs. Ittihad Kalba, Shabab Al Ahli vs. Al Wasl, Sharjah vs. Ajman, Al Nasr vs. Emirates and Al Bataeh vs. Al Ain. Second round on May 21-22.

Matchweek 13 — February 16-17: Al Wahda vs. Sharjah, Al Ain vs. Al Jazira, Hatta vs. Shabab Al Ahli, Al Wasl vs. Al Nasr, Ajman vs. Bani Yas, Emirates vs. Al Bataeh and Ittihad Kalba vs. Khorfakkan. Second round on May 25-26.