First Division League

Organising body	Saudi Arabia Football Federation (SAFF)
Founded	1976 (1976)
Country	Saudi Arabia
Confederation	AFC
Number of teams	18
Level on pyramid	2
Promotion to	Pro League
Relegation to	Second Division
Domestic cup(s)	King Cup
Current champions	Al-Ahli (1st title) (2022–23 season)
Most championships	Hajer Al-Wehda (4 titles each)
TV partners	AlRiyadiyah
Current: 2023–24 First Division

The First Division League (FDL^[1] for short), also called the Yelo league for sponsorship reasons,^[2] 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. All of the FDL clubs qualify for the King Cup, the annual Saudi Cup competition. Al-Ahli are the most recent champions, winning their first title during the 2022–23 season.

The number of clubs in the league has 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.^[3]

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.^[4]

Promotion and relegation

The top three teams are promoted to the Professional League directly, while the bottom three teams are relegated to the Second Division.

List of teams (2022–23 season)

For details on the MS League 2022–23 season, see here.

Al-Ahli
Jeddah

Al-Ain

Al-Arabi

Al-Faisaly

Al-Hazem
Al-Kholood

Al-Jabalain

Al-Okhdood
Najran

Al-Orobah

Al-Qadsiah

Al-Qaisumah

Al-Riyadh

Al-Sahel

Al-Shoulla

Hajer

Ohod

Locations of teams in the 2022–23 First Division League

Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.

League rules

Since the 2018–19 season the number of foreign players in the league was increased from 3 to 7.^[19] 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 1976–77 Al-Nahda Al-Ettifaq 1977–78 Al-Riyadh Al-Tai 1978–79 Al-Shabab Ohod 1979–80 Al-Jabalain Al-Riyadh 1980–81 Ohod Al-Rawdhah 1981–82 Not held1 1982–83 Al-Wehda Al-Riyadh 1983–84 Ohod Al-Jabalain 1984–85 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

Season Winners Runners-up 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 1997–98 Hajer Al-Ansar 1998–99 Sdoos Al-Raed 1999–2000 Al-Ansar Al-Qadsiah 2000–01 Al-Tai Al-Shoulla 2001–02 Al-Qadsiah Al-Raed 2002–03 Al-Wehda Al-Khaleej 2003–04 Ohod Al-Ansar 2004–05 Al-Hazem Abha 2005–06 Al-Khaleej Al-Faisaly

Season Winners Runners-up 2006–07 Al-Watani Najran 2007–08 Al-Raed Abha 2008–09 Al-Qadsiah Al Fateh 2009–10 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 2018–19 Abha Damac 2019–20 Al-Batin Al-Qadsiah 2020–21 Al-Hazem Al-Fayha

Season Winners Runners-up 2021–22 Al-Khaleej Al-Adalah 2022–23 Al-Ahli Al-Hazem

Note

¹First Division and Premier League were merged in 1981–82.

Top scorers

Nat.	Top Scorers	Club	Season	Goals
	Ablaye Mbengue	Al-Arabi	2022–2023	29
	Carolus Andria	Ohod Club	2021–2022	25
	Ibrahim Diomandé	Ohod Club	2020–2021	24
	Ousmane Barry	Al-Bukiryah FC	2019–2020	27
	Carolus Andria	Al-Adalah	2018–2019	22
	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	2009–2010	16
	Mohammad Al-Sahlawi Mohammad Alhelo	Al-Qadsiah Sdoos	2008–2009	15[20]
	Khalid Al Rejaib	Hajer	2007–2008	9
	Al Hasan Al-Yami	Najran	2006–2007	20
	Mubarak Al Khaleefah	Khaleej	2005–2006	18
	Mohammed Abuarad	Abha	2004–2005	19
	Mohammed Abuarad	Abha	2003–2004	15
	Mohammed Abuarad	Abha	2002–2003	16
	Mohammed Manga	Sdoos	2001–2002	12[21]
	Mohammed Abuarad	Abha	2000–2001	14
	Mohammed Harshan	Najran	1999–2000	11
	Mubarak Al Khaleefah	Al-Rawdhah	1998–1999	13[22]
			1997–1998
	Mousa Sahab	Al-Taawoun	1996–1997
	Obeid Al-Dosari	Al-Wehda	1995–1996
	Yehey Jako	Al-Ta'ee	1994–1995	11[23]
	Khalid Al-Mansour	Al-Arabi	1993–1994	15
	Hamzah Idris	Ohod	1992–93	10
	Sulaiman Al Hadaithi Mohamed Al Khalifa Nasser Al-Qahtani	Al-Najma Hajer Al-Rawdhah	1991–1992	11
	Ahmed Al-Zaaq	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 Fahd Al-Hamdan	Al-Arabi Al-Riyadh	1987–1988	11
	Khalid Al-Mansour	Al-Arabi	1986–1987	16
	Abdullah Al Saab	Al-Fayha	1985–1986	8[24]
	Walid Sharqi	Al-Ansar	1984–1985
	Mohamed Al-Suwaiyed	Damac	1983–1984	11
	Shaye Al-Nafisah	Al-Kawkab	1982–1983	12
			1981–1982 1First Division and Premier League were merged
	Abdullah Al-Mansour	Al-Taawoun	1980–1981	9
	Daran Al Daran	Al-Jabalain	1979–1980	16[25]
			1978–1979
			1977–1978
			1976–1977

See also

• Saudi Arabia Football Federation

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saudi First Division.

• Saudi Arabia Football Federation
• Saudi Arabia First Division - Hailoosport.com (Arabic)
• Saudi Arabia First Division - Hailoosport.com