Al-Arabi SC (Saudi Arabia)

Al-Arabi Sports Club (), also known as Al-Arabi Al-Saudi, is a professional multi-sports club based in Unaizah, Saudi Arabia. The football team competes in the Saudi First Division League, the second tier of Saudi football.

History

Establishment

Al Arabi Sporting Club was formed in Unaizah in 1958, by a group of young people in the city. 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 until 2010, Currently, Adeeb Al-Kwiter is the president.

Football

Al-Arabi played for the first time in the Saudi First Division in the 1986–87 season. However, It played for four seasons until it won the Saudi First Division in 1989–90 season and was promoted to the Saudi Premier League. The club played one season in the Saudi Premier League and then was relegated to the Saudi First Division, where they played for four years. Al-Arabi was relegated in 1994–95 to the Saudi Second Division and attempted to rise back to the Saudi First Division in the 1995–96 season. Al-Arabi lost in the qualifier finals which was held in Al-Hasa. They played the 1996–97 and the 1997–98 season in the second division, until they were relegated to the third division in the 1998–99 season. The club continued in the third division until managing to qualify in 2001–02 in the final qualification match which was held in Najran and was promoted. The team played in the second division for from the 2002–03 season until the 2004–05 season where it was once again to the third division. Al-Arabi returned to the Saudi Second Division in the 2008–09 season after getting second place in the final qualification which was held in Dammam. In the 2021–22 season, they were champions of the Saudi Second Division and was promoted in the Saudi First Division. They have been playing in that division since the 2022–23 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:''

Out on loan

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
* Zdravko Logarusic 2023
* Alen Horvat 2023–present

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 its own football stadium, and uses a playground for training. 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. Al-Najma SC gained the right to use the stadium without a draw.
In February 2007 during an interview on a program called ''C.V.'', 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 is an indoor sports arena used particularly for basketball and handball matches for the club. The capacity of the stadium is 7,000 people, and 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

See also

* List of football clubs in Saudi Arabia

References

External links

* Unaizah
Unofficial website
(archived)
Al-Arabi
at kooora.com
Al-Arabi
at goalzz.com

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Football clubs in Saudi Arabia
Association football clubs established in 1958
Unaizah
1958 establishments in Saudi Arabia
Football clubs in Al-Qassim Province
Sport in Unaizah