ADNOC Pro League: Top teams get easy openings after draw
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)The upcoming ADNOC Pro League season promises to be a thrilling campaign right from the early weeks, thanks to the continued use of artificial intelligence to craft competitive and balanced fixture schedules of premier competitions in the UAE.A draw ceremony at the ADNOC headquarters in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, witnessed by Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, kickstarted the domestic season.For the fifth consecutive year, the UAE Pro League has employed a smart electronic draw system, designed to maximise high-profile matchups and ensure fairness across the board. Yet, coincidentally, the top legacy teams in the league, such as Al Ain, Al Jazira, Al Wahda, Shabab Al Ahli, Al Wasl and Sharjah have got easy fixture-ranking clashes lined up for the first match day.They would all be expected to hit the ground running before the schedule parity balances out.Using AI to model scheduling similar to Europe's top leagues – such as the Premier League and Serie A – the draw ensures no more than two matches take place in the same city each week and considers external commitments, home-and-away balance, and traditional rivalries.The result: a fixture list geared toward fan engagement and fierce competition.After the opening round avoids marquee clashes, things heat up quickly from the second. That round will see Shabab Al Ahli meet Al Wahda in a high-stakes encounter, while Sharjah take on Al Jazira, both matchups likely to influence the early title race.Matchweek 3 continues the intensity as Al Wasl face Al Ain, two sides eyeing silverware, while Al Jazira go head-to-head with Al Nasr in a classic capital vs Dubai showdown. Drama follows Al Nasr as they take on fellow Dubai rivals Shabab Al Ahli.The calendar hits a major peak for the fifth match day for the top teams, featuring: Shabab Al Ahli vs Al Ain, the Abu Dhabi derby between Jazira and Al Wahda, Al Wasl vs Sharjah.Next week's highlight will be the Dubai derby between Al Wasl and Al Nasr, ensuring a charged atmosphere for supporters across the city.The second half of the season maintains the excitement, kicking off with intriguing fixtures including Ajman vs Shabab Al Ahli, Al Bataeh vs Al Jazira, and Al Wasl vs Khorfakkan.The Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) Cup also sees several compelling potential matchups. Al Nasr will meet Al Bataeh, with the winner to face Shabab Al Ahli. Sharjah clash with Dibba, and may face Al Ain if the latter beat Khorfakkan.Reigning champions Al Jazira await the winner of Al Wasl vs Al Dhafra, while Al Wahda face Ajman, with the victors taking on Baniyas or Khorfakkan. The draw for the sixth season of the eUAE Pro League Championship was also drawn, with teams slotted into two groups.Baniyas, Al Bataeh, Sharjah, Kalba, Ajman, Dibba, Al Jazira have been put in Group A, while the other one has Khorfakkan, Al Wasl, Al Ain, Al Wahda, Shabab Al Ahli, Al Nasr, Al Dhafra.
The draw event brought together a host of dignitaries besides Al Jaber and Abdulla Al Jneibi, Chairman of the UAE Pro League. The use of AI and adherence to international best practices reflects the League's long-term vision under its 2020–2030 strategy, aligning with the UAE Government's AI Strategy 2031.
Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Etihad
16 hours ago
- Al Etihad
ADNOC Pro League: Top teams get easy openings after draw
7 July 2025 00:15 KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)The upcoming ADNOC Pro League season promises to be a thrilling campaign right from the early weeks, thanks to the continued use of artificial intelligence to craft competitive and balanced fixture schedules of premier competitions in the UAE.A draw ceremony at the ADNOC headquarters in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, witnessed by Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, kickstarted the domestic the fifth consecutive year, the UAE Pro League has employed a smart electronic draw system, designed to maximise high-profile matchups and ensure fairness across the board. Yet, coincidentally, the top legacy teams in the league, such as Al Ain, Al Jazira, Al Wahda, Shabab Al Ahli, Al Wasl and Sharjah have got easy fixture-ranking clashes lined up for the first match would all be expected to hit the ground running before the schedule parity balances AI to model scheduling similar to Europe's top leagues – such as the Premier League and Serie A – the draw ensures no more than two matches take place in the same city each week and considers external commitments, home-and-away balance, and traditional result: a fixture list geared toward fan engagement and fierce the opening round avoids marquee clashes, things heat up quickly from the second. That round will see Shabab Al Ahli meet Al Wahda in a high-stakes encounter, while Sharjah take on Al Jazira, both matchups likely to influence the early title 3 continues the intensity as Al Wasl face Al Ain, two sides eyeing silverware, while Al Jazira go head-to-head with Al Nasr in a classic capital vs Dubai showdown. Drama follows Al Nasr as they take on fellow Dubai rivals Shabab Al calendar hits a major peak for the fifth match day for the top teams, featuring: Shabab Al Ahli vs Al Ain, the Abu Dhabi derby between Jazira and Al Wahda, Al Wasl vs week's highlight will be the Dubai derby between Al Wasl and Al Nasr, ensuring a charged atmosphere for supporters across the second half of the season maintains the excitement, kicking off with intriguing fixtures including Ajman vs Shabab Al Ahli, Al Bataeh vs Al Jazira, and Al Wasl vs Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) Cup also sees several compelling potential matchups. Al Nasr will meet Al Bataeh, with the winner to face Shabab Al Ahli. Sharjah clash with Dibba, and may face Al Ain if the latter beat champions Al Jazira await the winner of Al Wasl vs Al Dhafra, while Al Wahda face Ajman, with the victors taking on Baniyas or Khorfakkan. The draw for the sixth season of the eUAE Pro League Championship was also drawn, with teams slotted into two Al Bataeh, Sharjah, Kalba, Ajman, Dibba, Al Jazira have been put in Group A, while the other one has Khorfakkan, Al Wasl, Al Ain, Al Wahda, Shabab Al Ahli, Al Nasr, Al Dhafra. The draw event brought together a host of dignitaries besides Al Jaber and Abdulla Al Jneibi, Chairman of the UAE Pro League. The use of AI and adherence to international best practices reflects the League's long-term vision under its 2020–2030 strategy, aligning with the UAE Government's AI Strategy 2031. Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
Al Etihad
16 hours ago
- Al Etihad
UAE youth players gearing up in Thailand for IMMAF World Championships
7 July 2025 00:15 KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)The UAE Youth Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) team is undergoing intensive training in Phuket, Thailand, as part of its final preparations for the 2025 IMMAF Youth World camp, which runs until July 19, aims to sharpen the skills of the young athletes ahead of the global competition taking place in Al Ain from July 21 to coaching staff has selected 20 athletes to take part in the camp, representing three youth age categories: Youth C (12–13 years), Youth B (14–15 years), and Youth A (16–17 years). Under the supervision of the coaching and administrative teams, the programme focuses on boosting physical fitness and refining technical and tactical abilities to ensure full readiness for the Al Menhali, the UAE Jiu-Jitsu and MMA Federation's technical director, said the training camp in Thailand has created the right conditions for the team to stay focused and keep improving. He praised the athletes for their strong attitude and consistent discipline."The camp in Thailand is an important step in our preparation. We've seen clear progress in the athletes' performance, which shows how committed they are to representing the UAE in the best possible way at this major event," he Zafiropoylos Apostolos added that the programme includes high-intensity sessions that closely mimic real competition scenarios, along with tactical drills designed to enhance decision-making under pressure. He also noted the personalised training approach and the team's strong sense of unity and cohesion. The camp forms part of the national federation's broader strategy to continue its illustrious record of sporting achievements, elevate the nation's international rankings, and position the UAE as a leader in the global MMA landscape. Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
Al Etihad
a day ago
- Al Etihad
UAE Pro League holds 2025-26 sports season draw for ADNOC Pro League, ADIB Cup
6 July 2025 15:54 ABU DHABI (WAM)The UAE Pro League held the 2025-26 sports season draw for the ADNOC Pro League, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) Cup, and eUAE Pro League Championship at headquarters of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).The draw ceremony for the 2025–26 season took place in the presence of distinguished representatives from clubs, sponsors, and various media outlets, hosted by ADNOC – the official sponsor of the ADNOC Pro draw ceremony for the new season was attended by Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Managing Director and CEO of ADNOC and its Group of Companies, as well as Abdulla Nasser Al Jneibi, Chairman of the UAE Pro League and First Vice President of the UAE Football Association; Saif Al Falahi, Group Business Support and Special Tasks Director at ADNOC; Eng. Bader Saeed Al Lamki, CEO of ADNOC Distribution; and Ahmed Al Mubarak, Head of Commercial Real Estate and Corporate Finance at the same time, the new season's draw event also featured the draw for the sixth season of the eUAE Pro League Championship, reflecting the League's belief in the importance of eSports among the target UAE Pro League recognises the growing global value of e-gaming and its continuous rise and is keen to be part of this global ecosystem that is actively investing in this thriving also saw the continued adoption of the smart electronic draw system, implemented since the 2021–2022 season in the ADNOC Pro League, aligns with the UAE Pro League's 2020–2030 strategy aimed at advancing all aspects of professional also reflects the UAE Government's smart vision through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology via the OpenAI programme, in line with the UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy system takes into account several key factors, including, balancing high-profile matches, ensuring no more than two matches are held in the same city during a single matchweek, ensuring an equitable home-and-away distribution (six home matches and seven away, or vice versa), and accommodating clubs' participation in foreign season, the UAE Pro League implemented a round-by-round draw system, in line with international best practices adopted in top leagues such as the English Premier League, Serie A, and the goal is to maximize technical excitement, competitive balance, and deliver more high-profile, fan-focused smart draw mechanism was guided by a set of key criteria, including; upholding sporting integrity, distributing matches based on the 2024–2025 season standings, balancing major and high-attendance fixtures, accounting for clubs' external commitments, coordinating match schedules within the same emirate, and ensuring that no more than two matches are played in the same city on the same day during the same ADIB Cup draw resulted in strong clashes in the first round. In path one, Al Nasr face Al Bataeh, with the winner playing Shabab Al the winner of Sharjah vs. Dibba will face the winner of Al Ain vs. Path 2, reigning champions Al Jazira will meet the winner of Al Wasl vs. Al Dhafra. The winner of Al Wahda vs. Ajman will face the winner of Bani Yas vs. ADNOC Pro League draw introduced an unprecedented system with separate draws for each opening round will not feature major high-profile clashes: Shabab Al Ahli will play Al Dhafra, Ajman face Al Wahda, Dibba take on Sharjah, Al Ain meet Al Bataeh, Kalba clash against Al Nasr, Khorfakkan play Al Jazira, and Al Wasl face off Bani clashes begin in matchweek two, with Shabab Al Ahli facing Al Wahda and Sharjah playing Al matchweek three, Al Wasl will play Al Ain and Al Jazira will face Al Nasr. Matchweek four features Al Nasr vs. Shabab Al Ahli, while matchweek five hosts three major matches: Shabab Al Ahli vs. Al Ain, Al Jazira vs. Al Wahda, and Al Wasl vs. 'Dubai Derby' between Al Wasl and Al Nasr will be played in matchweek the second half of the league, the first matchweek of this half will see Al Wahda play Dibba, Al Dhafra vs. Sharjah, Ajman vs. Shabab Al Ahli, Al Nasr vs. Bani Yas, Al Bataeh vs. Al Jazira, Kalba vs. Al Ain and Al Wasl vs. the draw for the eUAE Pro League Championship produced strong matches in two A includes Bani Yas, Al Bataeh, Sharjah, Kalba, Ajman, Dibba, and Al Jazira. Group B includes Khorfakkan, Al Wasl, Al Ain, Al Wahda, Shabab Al Ahli, Al Nasr, and Al Dhafra.
