Former international referee and refereeing expert Yaqoub Al-Hamadi stated that the reliance on foreign referees in the ADNOC Pro League, especially in major matches and top-tier games, has negatively impacted the presence of Emirati referees in external participations, particularly at the continental tournaments organized by the Asian Football Confederation.
Al-Hamadi pointed to the decline in Emirati refereeing in recent times, despite the remarkable appearances of former World Cup referee Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, who participated in the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He added: "The only remaining chance for Emirati refereeing at present lies in the selection of international referee Omar Al-Ali for the officiating team of the 2026 World Cup finals, and I hope he is a main referee and not a reserve."
Commenting on the impact of using foreign referees in important and sensitive matches in the local league since the start of the current season, Al-Hamadi told "Al-Ittihad": "Assigning important matches to foreign referees negatively affects local refereeing, because the Emirati referee always aspires to manage major matches and top-tier games, which gives him more confidence and experience."
Al-Hamadi indicated that his main observations about local refereeing are the absence of Emirati referees from managing top-tier games, which has affected their presence in continental tournaments. He added: "When the local referee feels that major matches are not entrusted to him, while they are managed by foreign referees, he loses confidence in himself and his abilities, which reflects on the level of Emirati refereeing in Asian participations." He continued: "I hope that in the upcoming period, Emirati referees will be relied upon more in top-tier and most exciting matches in the local league, to restore the prestige of Emirati refereeing."
Regarding the participation of female elements in refereeing, Al-Hamadi praised the wisdom of the pitch, Rouda Al-Mansouri, for her contribution to managing matches in the ADNOC Pro League for the third consecutive season, considering it a positive step by the football federation. He said: "The football federation follows the example of the international and Asian federations in giving opportunities to the female element."
