ABU DHABI: The 2025-26 season fixtures for the ADNOC Pro League, ADIB Cup and eUAE Pro League Championship were announced at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s headquarters on Sunday night.
The draw ceremony took place in the presence of club, sponsor and media representatives and was hosted by ADNOC, official sponsors of the UAE Pro League.
It was attended by Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber, the UAE minister of industry and advanced technology and managing director and CEO of ADNOC and its group of companies. Also present were Abdullah Nasser Al-Jneibi, chairman of the UAE Pro League and first vice president of the UAE Football Association, Saif Al-Falahi, ADNOC’s group business support and special tasks director, ADNOC Distribution CEO Bader Saeed Al-Lamki, and Ahmed Al-Mubarak, ADIB’s head of commercial real estate and corporate finance.
The draw was presented by media personalities Yousef Saleh and Khaled Bayoumi and also featured the schedule for the sixth eUAE Pro League Championship, reflecting the growing importance of esports.
It was carried out using a smart electronic draw system first implemented in the 2021-22 season, highlighting the UAE government’s vision of the use of artificial intelligence technology via the OpenAI program, in line with the UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031.
This season, the UAE Pro League implemented a round-by-round draw system, in line with international best practices adopted by top leagues such as the English Premier League, Serie A and the Bundesliga.
The smart draw mechanism used a set of key criteria, including upholding sporting integrity, distributing matches based on 2024–25 season standings, balancing major and high-attendance fixtures, clubs’ external commitments, coordinating match schedules within the same emirate, and ensuring no more than two matches are played in the same city on the same day.
The ADIB Cup draw resulted in strong clashes in the first round. In Path 1, Al Nasr face Al-Bataeh, with the winner playing Shabab Al-Ahli. Meanwhile, the winner of Sharjah vs. Dibba will face the winner of Al-Ain vs. Khorfakkan.
In Path 2, reigning champions Al-Jazira will meet the winner of Al-Wasl vs Al-Dhafra. The winner of Al-Wahda vs Ajman will face the winner of Bani Yas vs Khorfakkan.
The ADNOC Pro League draw introduced a new system with separate draws for each round.
The opening legs will not feature high-profile clashes. Shabab Al-Ahli will play Al-Dhafra, Ajman face Al-Wahda, Dibba take on Sharjah, Al-Ain meet Al Bataeh, Kalba clash against Al-Nasr, Khorfakkan play Al-Jazira, and Al Wasl face off against Bani Yas.
Major battles begin in week two, with Shabab Al-Ahli facing Al-Wahda and Sharjah playing Al-Jazira.
In week three, Al-Wasl will play Al-Ain and Al-Jazira will face Al-Nasr, while week four features Al-Nasr vs Shabab Al-Ahli. Week five hosts three major matches — Shabab Al-Ahli vs Al-Ain, Al-Jazira vs. Al-Wahda, and Al-Wasl vs. Sharjah.
The “Dubai Derby” between Al-Wasl and Al-Nasr will be played in week six.
The first week of the second half of the season will see Al-Wahda play Dibba, Al-Dhafra vs Sharjah, Ajman vs Shabab Al-Ahli, Al-Nasr vs Bani Yas, Al-Bataeh vs Al-Jazira, Kalba vs Al-Ain and Al-Wasl vs Khorfakkan.
In the eUAE Pro League Championship, Group A includes Bani Yas, Al-Bataeh, Sharjah, Kalba, Ajman, Dibba and Al-Jazira.
Group B will see matches between Khorfakkan, Al-Wasl, Al-Ain, Al-Wahda, Shabab Al-Ahli, Al-Nasr, and Al-Dhafra.
