Abu Dhabi — The draw for the ADNOC Professional League and the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) Cup for the 2026-27 football season was held yesterday at the headquarters of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). The draw was organised by the UAE Professional League and the season is scheduled to kick off on 14 August.
The draw ceremony was attended by His Excellency Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC and its group of companies; Lorenzo Fanara, Ambassador of the Italian Republic to the United Arab Emirates; Abdullah Nasser Al Junaibi, Chairman of the UAE Professional League; and representatives of the professional clubs.
The Professional League draw produced a relatively balanced opening round. Al Ain will begin their title defence against Bani Yas, Al Nasr will host Kalba, Al Jazira will face Hatta, Al Wahda will take on Ajman, Al Wasl will receive newly promoted United in their first-ever top-flight appearance, Shabab Al Ahli will open their campaign against Khor Fakkan, and Sharjah will face Al Dhafra.
In the second round, the intensity rises sharply, with Al Ain meeting Al Nasr in a blockbuster derby, while Sharjah face Al Jazira in a fiercely contested local clash. Shabab Al Ahli host Al Dhafra, Al Wahda travel to Al Nasr, Al Wasl face Kalba, Bani Yas meet United, and Ajman host Hatta.
The draw was conducted using artificial intelligence technology, in line with the UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031.
The opening weeks will pose genuine tests for title contenders, with a succession of direct clashes including Al Ain versus Al Wasl in round five, Shabab Al Ahli versus Al Jazira, and Sharjah versus Al Wahda, as well as Al Ain's fixtures against Al Jazira and Shabab Al Ahli — a sequence that injects early momentum into the competition and leaves little room for the leading sides to breathe during the first half of the season.
Among the most anticipated fixtures of the season are Al Ain versus Al Wasl, the Abu Dhabi derby between Al Jazira and Al Wahda, the Dubai derby between Shabab Al Ahli and Al Nasr, Sharjah's summit clashes with Al Jazira, Al Wasl and Al Ain, and Al Ain's meetings with Shabab Al Ahli — matches likely to have a direct bearing on the title race.
ADIB Cup
The ADIB Cup draw also produced two high-voltage first-round ties under a new format being used for the first time next season.
The preliminary stage of the tournament will be run as a league phase, with each of the 14 professional clubs playing 6 matches — 3 at home and 3 away. The top 8 sides will then advance to a knockout stage, with the quarter-finals pitting 1st against 8th, 2nd against 7th, 3rd against 6th, and 4th against 5th, followed by the two semi-finals and the final.
The first round threw up a string of standout clashes: Al Wahda versus Al Jazira, Al Ain versus Al Wasl, Shabab Al Ahli versus Hatta, Al Nasr versus United, Sharjah versus Ajman, Bani Yas versus Al Dhafra, and Kalba versus Khor Fakkan — giving the competition a strong start under its new format.
The new Cup format is expected to increase the number of competitive matches to 49 across the season, raising the level of excitement throughout the preliminary stage while giving clubs greater opportunity to recover from setbacks and enhancing the importance of every round in the race to qualify for the knockout phase.