Al-Arabi (Saudi Arabia)

Al-Arabi Sports Club ( ar, نادي العربي), also known as Al-Arabi Al-Saudi, is a professional multi-sports club based in Unaizah, Saudi Arabia. The football team competes in the First Division League, the second tier of Saudi Football. The club's main colors are white and red. Al-Arabi has a fierce rivalry with Al-Najma, with whom they compete in the Unaizah Derby.

History

Establishment

Al Arabi's name means "The Arabian", Al Arabi Sporting Club was formed in Unaizah in 1958, by a group of young people in the city. Suleiman Al-Badi took over the club on an informal basis. The club operated unofficially as an amateur club until 1967 and was registered officially in the same year when General Presidency of Youth Welfare Abdulrahman Al-N'aim officially took over. The club has had fourteen presidents from its establishment till 2010, Currently, Adeeb Al-Kwiter is the president.

Football

The football team qualified for the first time in the 1986/1985 season, to participate in the qualifying tournament which was held in Al-Hasa, and got onto the shield, Al-Arabi played for the first time in Saudi First Division in the 1986/1987 season However, It played for four seasons until it won Saudi Premier League in 1989/1990 season. The club played one season in Saudi Premier League and then was relegated to the Saudi First Division for four years. Then in 1994/1995, it was also relegated to Saudi Second Division, where it played to get a qualifier to rise to the Saudi First Division season 1995/1996, and failed to rise to the first division in the finals which was held in n Al-Hasa. t played in the second division, which was established for the first time in the season 1996/1997, and until it fell in the season 1998/1999 to the third division, after playing for three seasons. It continued in the third division until managing to qualify in season 2001/2002 in the final qualification which was held in Najran and got the shield. The team came back to the Saudi Second Division season in 2002/2003. But it was relegated to the third division season 2004/2005. after it played three seasons in the second division. It returned in season 2008/2009 to Saudi Second Division after getting second place in the final qualification which was held in Dammam. In Season 2009/2010 it played in the second division and it also played in Season 2012/2013 and is currently playing in the Saudi Second Division League. It ascended to the Saudi Premier League 1990–91 season, but it failed to a wali division club after one season

*1 ''season'' in Saudi Professional League
*8 ''seasons'' in Saudi First Division
*18 ''seasons'' in Saudi Second Division
*7 ''seasons'' in Saudi Third Division

Current squad

''As of 1 July 2023:''

Club honours (Football)

*Saudi First Division :
**''Runner up (1) : 1989–90''
*Saudi Second Division :
**''Champion (2) : 1986–87, 2021–22''
*Saudi Third Division :
**''Champion (1) : 2001–02

Current Technical staff

Coaches history

* Akram Ahmad Salman 1989–1992
* Wardi Murad 2010–2011

Basketball

Club honours (Basketball)

*Saudi Basketball U-17 tournament: 1
1997

Club honours (Hand Ball)

*Saudi Federation Handball Cup: 1
1983
*Saudi youth handball tournament: 1
1977
* Saudi Handball U-17 Premier League: 1
2009

Stadium

Al-Arabi does not have a football stadium but a playground for training only and does not have strips. A sport compound was built in Unaizah with facilities for a wide range of competitive sports, and the General Presidency of Youth Welfare decided to hold a draw between the city's two clubs for the right to use it, and Al-Najma club gained the right without a draw.
In February 2007 during an interview on a program called ''C.V.'', broadcast on the Saudi sports channel, Saleh Al-Wassel, the then-president of Al-Najma, admitted that he used his influence to obtain the newly built sports facility in Unaizah.

Al Arabi is currently playing all of its home matches at the Department of Education Stadium.

Indoor facilities

Al-Arabi Pavilion was an Indoor sports arena used particularly for basketball and handball matches in Al-Arabi. located in the Al-Arabi Club, Spain. Its capacity is 7,00 people. which was built in 2007.

Presidents

* Suleiman Al-Badi
* Abdulrahman Al-Naim
* Ahmed Al-Turki
* Mohammed Al-Manea
* Ibrahim Al-Zaki
* Abdulrahman Al-Musaed
* Ahmad Al-Mansur
* Fahad Al-Wahaibi
* Ahmad Al-Subaie
* Ahmed Al-Marzouq
* Adeeb Al-Kwiter
* Mohammed Al-Dukahil
* Abdulaziz Al Dera
* Ameen Al Malah

References

External links

*Unaizah
Unofficial

Al-Arabi page at kooora.com – ArabicAl-Arabi page at goalzz.com – English

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Football clubs in Saudi Arabia
Association football clubs established in 1958
Unaizah
1958 establishments in Saudi Arabia
Football clubs in Unaizah