First Division League
Season2023–24
Dates14 August 2023 – May 2024
Matches played153
Goals scored405 (2.65 per match)
Top goalscorerOusmane Barry
(13 goals)
Biggest home winAl-Arabi 4–0 Hajer
(21 August 2023)
Ohod 4–0 Al-Jandal
(3 October 2023)
Biggest away winAl-Batin 0–5 Al-Kholood
(3 September 2023)
Highest scoringAl-Safa 4–6 Al-Qadsiah
(10 January 2024)
Longest winning runAl-Orobah
(8 matches)
Longest unbeaten runAl-Kholood
Al-Orobah
Al-Qadsiah
(8 matches)
Longest winless runHajer
(13 matches)
Longest losing runAl-Safa
(6 matches)
2024–25 →
All statistics correct as of 10 January 2024.

The 2023–24 First Division League (known as the Yelo League for sponsorship reasons) will be the 3rd season of the Saudi First Division League after its rebrand, and the 47th season of the Saudi First Division since its establishment in 1976. The season is scheduled to start on 14 August 2023 and conclude in May 2024.[1]

Team changes

The following teams have changed division since the 2022–23 season.

Teams

A total of 18 teams are contesting the league, including 11 sides from the 2022–23 season, the five promoted teams from the Second Division and the two relegated sides from the Pro League.

Al-Batin were the first club to be relegated following a 1–0 defeat away to Al-Ittihad on 23 May 2023.[2] Al-Batin were relegated after three years in the top flight. Al-Adalah were the second and final club to be relegated following a 2–0 home defeat to Al-Ettifaq on the final matchday.[3] Al-Adalah were relegated after just one year in the top flight. Both Al-Adalah and Al-Batin will play in their 7th season in the FD League.

The first club to be promoted was Al-Najma who did so after a 1–1 draw against Al-Kawkab on 17 March 2023.[4] On 24 March 2023, Al-Taraji became the second club to be promoted despite a 1–0 defeat to Al-Bukiryah.[5] On 31 March 2023, Al-Bukiryah became the third club to be promoted following a 1–0 home win against Al-Diriyah.[6] On 8 April 2023, Al-Safa became the fourth club to be promoted following a 2–1 home win against Wej.[7] The fifth and final club to be promoted was Al-Jandal, who did so following a 4–2 aggregate win over Bisha in the promotion play-offs.[8]

Al-Najma were crowned champions after defeating Al-Taraji 2–1 to win their third title and first since 2010.[9]

Al-Najma return to the First Division League after an absence of 10 years. They return to the league for the first time since the 2012–13 season and will play in their 11th overall season. Al-Bukiryah return after an absence of two seasons and will play in their 3rd overall season in the First Division League. Al-Safa return after an absence of eight years and will play in their 2nd overall season in the First Division League. Both Al-Taraji and Al-Jandal were promoted to the First Division League for the first time in history.

Stadia and locations

Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
Team Location Stadium Capacity
Al-Adalah Al-Hasa (Al-Hulaylah) Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium
Hajer Club Stadium		 26,000[10]
12,000
Al-Ain Al Bahah King Saud Sport City Stadium 10,000[11]
Al-Arabi Unaizah Department of Education Stadium 10,000[12]
Al-Batin Hafar al-Batin Al-Batin Club Stadium 6,000[13]
Al-Bukiryah Al Bukayriyah Al-Bukiryah Club Stadium 5,000[14]
Al-Faisaly Harmah Al Majma'ah Sports City (Al Majma'ah) 7,000
Al-Jabalain Ha'il Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium 12,250[15]
Al-Jandal Dumat al-Jandal Al-Orobah Club Stadium (Sakakah) 7,000[16]
Al-Kholood Ar Rass Al-Hazem Club Stadium 8,000[17]
Al-Najma Unaizah Department of Education Stadium
Al-Najma Club Stadium		 10,000
7,000[18]
Al-Orobah Sakakah Al-Orobah Club Stadium 7,000[16]
Al-Qadsiah Khobar Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium 15,000[19]
Al-Qaisumah Qaisumah Al-Batin Club Stadium (Hafar al-Batin) 6,000[13]
Al-Safa Safwa Al-Safa Club Stadium
Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium (Khobar)
Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium (Dammam)		 3,000
15,000[19]
26,000[20]
Al-Taraji Qatif Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Stadium
Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium (Khobar)		 12,000[21]
15,000[19]
Hajer Al-Hasa (Hofuf) Hajer Club Stadium 12,000[22]
Jeddah Jeddah Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium
Sports Hall at King Abdullah Sports City		 27,000
1,000
Ohod Medina Ohod Club Stadium 5,000[23]

Personnel and kits

Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
Al-Adalah Netherlands Roel Coumans Peru Christofer Gonzáles Al-Adalah Yelo
Al-Ain Serbia Zoran Milinković Chad Othman Maloum Zat Outfit Yelo
Al-Arabi Croatia Alen Horvat Saudi Arabia Ahmed Al-Muwallad Kelme Naqi Water, Yelo
Al-Batin Portugal Quim Machado Morocco Zakaria Lahlali Skillano Yelo, Almaali Hospital2
Al-Bukiryah Serbia Darko Nović Morocco Zakaria Fati RightAway Sport Yelo, Advanced Energy, Entaj1
Al-Faisaly Brazil Marcelo Chamusca Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al-Amri Adidas Aldrees, Yelo
Al-Jabalain France Denis Lavagne Jordan Yazid Abu Layla Envision Abar, Yelo, AlAhli Medical2
Al-Jandal Saudi Arabia Ziyad Al-Afar Saudi Arabia Humood Bakr Skillano Yelo
Al-Kholood Portugal Fabiano Flora Saudi Arabia Tareq Al-Kaebi In-House Yelo, Wav Water2
Al-Najma Italy Giovanni Solinas Saudi Arabia Ziyad Al-Qahtani Offside Yelo, Kyan
Al-Orobah Bosnia and Herzegovina Rusmir Cviko Saudi Arabia Rafea Al-Ruwaili Offside Yelo
Al-Qadsiah Spain Míchel England Max Power Macron
Al-Qaisumah Tunisia Abderrazek Chebbi Saudi Arabia Sultan Ghunaiman Copa Yelo
Al-Safa France Laurent Hagist Saudi Arabia Dawod Al Saeed Terio Yelo
Al-Taraji Romania Ilie Stan Saudi Arabia Abdulmajeed Haddadi Laser Yelo
Hajer North Macedonia Gjoko Hadžievski Brazil Adriano Pardal Offside Yelo
Jeddah Kuwait Maher Al-Shammari Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al-Safri Skillano Yelo
Ohod Croatia Damir Burić Saudi Arabia Salem Qabbos Offside Yelo
  • 1 On the back of the strip.
  • 2 On the right sleeve of the strip.
  • 3 On the shorts.

Foreign players

On 1 June 2023, the Saudi FF announced that the number of foreign players was increased from 6 players to 7 players.[24]

  • Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window.
  • Players in italics were out of the squad or left the club within the season, after the pre-season transfer window, or in the mid-season transfer window, and at least had one appearance.
Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Player 6 Player 7 Former Players
Al-Adalah Brazil Philipe Maia France Karim Yoda Greece Theofanis Mavrommatis Mali Moussa Doumbia Peru Christofer Gonzáles Togo Samsondin Ouro Romania Alexandru Tudorie
Al-Ain Brazil Bruno Grassi Cape Verde Dodô Chad Othman Maloum Ivory Coast Mohamed Ouattara Ivory Coast Daouda Sylla Nigeria Erhun Obanor Nigeria Anthony Okpotu
Al-Arabi Brazil Jobson Brazil Diego Miranda Brazil Muralha Ivory Coast Cheick Comara Netherlands Ola John Senegal Ablaye Mbengue Tunisia Khemais Maaouani
Al-Batin France Thibault Peyre Ghana Isaac Sackey Ivory Coast Mamadou Soro Morocco Amine Atouchi Morocco Zakaria Lahlali Morocco Abdelali Mhamdi Uruguay Brahian Alemán
Al-Bukiryah Cameroon Serge Tabekou Ghana Salifu Mudasiru Morocco Zakaria Fati Morocco Ayoub Lakhdar Netherlands Hicham Faik Netherlands Reda Kharchouch Serbia Nikola Petrić Serbia Nebojša Bastajić
Al-Faisaly Brazil Morato Brazil Lucas Souza Cameroon Paul Garita Germany Joy-Lance Mickels Morocco Mohamed Cheikhi Portugal Vladimir Stojković Tunisia Larry Azouni
Al-Jabalain Brazil Nailson Jordan Yazid Abu Layla Kenya Masoud Juma Morocco Iliass Bel Hassani Netherlands Mohamed Rayhi Serbia Miodrag Gemović Spain Israel Puerto
Al-Jandal Brazil Tony Batista Brazil Leandrinho Brazil Róbson Nigeria Austin Amutu Panama Cristian Martínez Spain Agi Dambelley Tunisia Sabri Zaidi Morocco Sofian El Moudane
Al-Kholood Argentina Mariano Vázquez Brazil Roberto Dias Brazil Rafael Martins Brazil Arthur Rezende Iraq Ahmed Yasin Portugal Afonso Taira Sweden Samuel Armenteros
Al-Najma Albania Idriz Batha Algeria Ayoub Azzi Algeria Farid Chaâl Brazil Alan Cariús Brazil Léo Tilica Guinea Ousmane Barry Guinea-Bissau Ença Fati
Al-Orobah Australia Connor Pain Brazil Tiago Bezerra Brazil Matheus Duarte Curaçao Vurnon Anita France Béni Nkololo Lithuania Džiugas Bartkus Netherlands Mounir El Allouchi
Al-Qadsiah Argentina Luciano Vietto England Max Power Germany Alexander Hack Peru André Carrillo Senegal Mbaye Diagne Spain Álvaro González Spain Joel Robles
Al-Qaisumah Angola Elliot Simões Brazil Lucas Dias Brazil Jefferson Burkina Faso Souleymane Sakandé Ecuador Jeison Chalá Ghana Sadat Karim Portugal Sandro Sakho Bosnia and Herzegovina Slaviša Bogdanović
Al-Safa Brazil Fabinho Brazil Maicon Brazil Kaká Mendes Brazil Reinaldo Colombia Victor Arboleda Mali Hamidou Traoré Tunisia Borhane Hakimi Ghana Denny Antwi
Nigeria Usman Sale
Tunisia Malek Miladi
Al-Taraji Benin Rodrigue Kossi Cameroon Alain Akono Germany Leroy-Jacques Mickels Ghana Samuel Sarfo Ivory Coast Mohamed Aidara Portugal Emanuel Novo Brazil Roger
Hajer Algeria Abderrahmane Bourdim Austria Srđan Spiridonović Brazil Adriano Pardal Cameroon Clarence Bitang Cameroon Ronald Ngah Croatia Nikola Jambor Senegal Bakary Coulibaly Serbia Miloš Krunić
Jeddah Algeria Rédha Bensayah Algeria Hamid Djaouchi Algeria Khaled Nèche Cameroon Ngweni Ndassi Gabon Medwin Biteghé Tunisia Aziz Chtioui
Ohod Algeria Karim Aribi Algeria Haris Belkebla Algeria Ryad Boudebouz Morocco Mohamed Kamal Poland Konrad Michalak Uruguay Nicolás Milesi Zimbabwe Gerald Takwara Angola Jonás Ramalho
Iraq Hussein Jabbar
Paraguay César Meza Colli
Paraguay David Meza

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Al-Qadsiah 17 12 4 1 34 14 +20 40 Promotion to the Pro League
2 Al-Jabalain 17 9 5 3 24 16 +8 32
3 Al-Kholood 17 9 4 4 26 15 +11 31
4 Al-Orobah 17 10 1 6 27 20 +7 31
5 Al-Adalah 17 8 5 4 29 22 +7 29
6 Al-Arabi 17 8 3 6 33 20 +13 27
7 Al-Jandal 17 8 3 6 18 20 −2 27
8 Al-Faisaly 17 7 4 6 26 24 +2 25
9 Al-Batin 17 7 4 6 17 19 −2 25[lower-alpha 1]
10 Jeddah 17 7 3 7 24 24 0 24
11 Al-Najma 17 6 4 7 29 27 +2 22
12 Ohod 17 5 5 7 18 19 −1 20
13 Al-Bukiryah 17 4 7 6 15 17 −2 19
14 Al-Ain 17 5 6 6 20 23 −3 18[lower-alpha 1]
15 Hajer 17 2 8 7 12 26 −14 14
16 Al-Qaisumah 17 3 3 11 22 36 −14 12 Relegation to the Second Division
17 Al-Taraji 17 3 3 11 13 28 −15 12
18 Al-Safa 17 3 2 12 18 35 −17 11
Updated to match(es) played on 10 January 2024. Source: goalzz.com
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Total goal difference; 5) Total goals scored; 6) Fair-play points
(Note: Head-to-head record is used only after all the matches between the teams in question have been played).[26]
Notes:
  1. 1 2 Al-Batin were awarded a 3–0 win over Al-Ain due to Al-Ain's inability to hold the fixture. In addition, Al-Ain were deducted 3 points for the same reason.[25]

Positions by round

The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological evolution, any postponed matches are not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled but added to the full round they were played immediately afterward.

Team ╲ Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
Al-Adalah1210865333222332345
Al-Ain118111712101214151515141514141414
Al-Arabi513114577911101110966
Al-Batin1079101091011111210988899
Al-Bukiryah46677885557111212121313
Al-Faisaly12153664665656678
Al-Jabalain73426546444444422
Al-Jandal1817161213121413128121210910107
Al-Kholood14131511877101076567553
Al-Najma9121315111311991198911111111
Al-Orobah25544211111123234
Al-Qadsiah64232122333211111
Al-Qaisumah814141617171818161818181818181516
Al-Safa1615171818181717181616161615171618
Al-Taraji1716181316141312131414151416161717
Hajer1518121414151616171717171717151815
Jeddah1391099119881087757810
Ohod3117815161515141313131313131212
Leader
Promotion to the Pro League
Relegation to the Second Division
Updated to match(es) played on 10 January 2023. Source:

Results

Home \ Away ADA AIN ARB BAT BUK FSY JAB JAN KHO NAJ ORO QAD QAI SAF TAR HJR JED OHD
Al-Adalah 1–1 0–1 4–2 2–1 0–1 1–0 3–2 1–1
Al-Ain 1–1 1–0 3–4 1–1 0–0 4–1 3–1 1–3
Al-Arabi 1–2 3–0 3–0 1–2 1–2 3–1 4–2 4–0 2–1
Al-Batin 3–0[27] 0–0 2–2 0–0 2–1 0–5 2–3 1–0 3–1
Al-Bukiryah 2–2 1–1 0–0 2–1 1–1 1–0 2–0 2–2 1–0
Al-Faisaly 2–0 3–0 1–2 0–1 2–1 2–0 2–0 1–4
Al-Jabalain 3–3 2–1 2–0 1–0 1–0 4–1 3–0 2–1 1–0
Al-Jandal 1–1 1–0 2–0 3–2 0–1 2–1 2–1 0–0
Al-Kholood 0–0 1–0 1–0 2–2 3–1 0–2 2–1 2–2
Al-Najma 1–3 0–1 2–1 0–1 3–0 0–3 0–0 2–4 3–0[28]
Al-Orobah 4–1 1–0 1–0 2–2 0–2 3–4 1–0 3–0 3–1
Al-Qadsiah 2–1 2–1 2–1 2–1 1–1 1–0 3–0 3–3 1–1
Al-Qaisumah 1–2 1–2 1–1 3–2 1–3 0–4 3–1 2–3
Al-Safa 3–2 0–3 0–1 1–1 0–1 4–6 4–1 0–1
Al-Taraji 2–4 2–1 0–1 0–0 0–0 3–2 0–1 1–2 1–1
Hajer 0–0 0–0 1–1 0–4 1–0 2–0 1–2 0–0 0–2
Jeddah 0–1 1–0 2–1 0–1 0–3 0–1 1–1
Ohod 1–1 1–0 0–2 0–0 4–0 0–1 1–2 1–1 1–2
Updated to match(es) played on 10 January 2024. Source: goalzz.com
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Statistics

As of 10 January 2024
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