The 14 clubs competing in the current ADNOC Professional League season rely on a total of 580 players registered with the Professional League. They participated in the first phase of the 2025-2026 season, which kicks off today, before the winter transfer window opens. The ratio was restricted to 52.8% for Emirati players, totaling 304, versus 252 foreign players at 43%, distributed among 69 professional foreigners and 184 resident players.
Al Sharjah club stands out as having the most Emirati players on its roster, with a total of 39 out of its full squad of 57 players. It is followed by Al Jazira with 35 Emirati players out of 60, and then Al Wasl with 24 Emirati players out of 58. Meanwhile, Ajman has the fewest Emirati players on its list with only 11 out of 29.
In turn, players' agent Adel Al-Amri stated that the future of Emirati players is at risk not only in the Professional League clubs but also in the First and Second Division clubs. He pointed out that if the regulations are not amended, the current ratio will continue to decline in the coming years.
In an interview with "Al-Ittihad," Al-Amri said: "The future of our children in all sports, including football, is in danger if the regulations that ensure the necessary balance in the coming years are not amended, and they will continue to negatively reflect on the national teams."
He explained: "Clubs operate according to the established systems and regulations, which is why it is important to amend the regulations and issued by the Ministry of Sports and sports federations, including football, as part of a national project and an in-depth study that ensures support for the Emirati player and the continuity of sports talents, which serves the national teams."
Furthermore, Al-Amri confirmed: "Relying on the resident player and granting citizenship to players who have been in the country for about five years must reflect on the achievements of our national teams. Therefore, the previous phase must be evaluated, and amendments to the regulations and systems must be adopted to ensure balance, especially since what the national teams have achieved in recent years does not differ from the past. This is in addition to the large budgets that were pumped in without a change in the reality of achievements, which could have been better invested in polishing Emirati talents."
He continued: "Amending the regulations regarding the naturalization of residents, which requires five years, must be linked to fixed quotas for clubs and restricted over the five years. Clubs should not be granted the right to any new transfers in this category except in the event of a change within the allocated quota, which helps achieve the required balance and preserve the Emirati player in the sport of the UAE in general, and football in particular."
Al-Amri then said: "We are the best league teeming with players from our competitors' national teams, and we are preparing them for their countries' national teams. Is it logical that the players of our national team from among citizens do not get the necessary minutes of play with their clubs compared to the foreign players from the national teams of neighboring countries that compete with us for the same Asian World Cup qualifying spots, and they get high minutes of play in our league that qualify them to go to their national teams in full readiness?"
Regarding the migration of Emirati players who do not get a chance in the professional league to the First Division, Al-Amri concluded: "The situation does not differ much, as the ratio of Emirati players registered in the First and Second Divisions is also more than half, and there are only a small number of them on the field."
Al Ain is the club with the most "resident" contracts
Al Ain tops the list of clubs with the most resident players in its ranks, with a total of 29 players out of 53, including 20 Emirati players. It is followed by Al Wasl in second place with 20 resident players, then Al Jazira (19 residents). Meanwhile, Al Qadsiah has the fewest resident players with only seven out of 33 players, including 19 Emiratis.
"The Samba Dancers" are the most present
The nationalities of foreign players in the league's clubs vary, covering 55 nationalities from around the world. They are led by Brazilian players with a total of 52 registrations (44 residents + 8 foreign professionals), by a large margin over the next closest nationalities. Moroccan players came in second with a total of 19 registrations (13 residents + 6 foreign professionals). Behind them are Senegalese and Serbian players, tied for third place with 12 registrations each. All Senegalese players are in the "resident" category, while Serbian players are distributed between seven residents and five foreign professionals.
35 Arab players.. and Moroccan leadership
The clubs' list includes 35 Arab players from 10 countries, distributed among 13 professionals and 22 residents. Moroccans top the list, followed by Syrian, Tunisian, and Egyptian players, who tied for second place with four players each (three residents and one foreign professional). There is one deal in the "resident" category for players from Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, Sudan, and Oman.
