About UAE Club Licensing

This “UAE Club Licensing Regulations” is the basic working document for Licensees which incorporates the AFC minimum requirements as well as minimum requirements to be considered an “excellent” football company in the UAE Professional League.

First implemented for the 2013 season, the UAE Club Licensing Regulations comes into force on its approval by the UAE Pro League (PLC, previously) Executive Committee and was implemented for the main purpose of participation in AFC Club Competitions.

The National licensing system was first introduced for the 2018-2019 season in line with the UAE Pro League's strategic plan to support and develop football companies based on the recommendations of the Asian Football Confederation to implement a National licensing system in line with the requirements of the local league at the given member association.

The Criteria which has to be fulfilled by the license applicants in order to be granted a license come into six main categories:

Sporting, Infrastructure, Personnel& Administration, Legal, Financial, and Marketing and Promotion.

The UAE Club Licensing System has the following objectives:-

• Safeguarding the credibility and integrity of continental and national club competitions.
• Allowing the development of benchmarking for Licence Applicants in financial, sporting, legal, personnel, administrative and infrastructure related criteria throughout UAE.
• Further promotion and continuous improvement of the standard of all aspects of football in UAE and continuing priority given to the training and care of young players in each Licence Applicants.
• Increasing the level of management and organization within the Licence Applicants.
• Improvement of the economic and financial capability of the Licence Applicants, increasing their transparency and credibility, and placing the necessary importance on the protection of creditors.
• Adaptation of Licence Applicants’ sporting infrastructure to provide spectators and media with well-appointed, well-equipped and safe stadiums.
• Safeguarding the continuity of international competitions for one season.
• Monitoring the financial fair play in the competitions.

AFC CLAS

It is an online system managed by the AFC. This system allows the License Administration to evaluate and follow up with the documents submitted by the License Applicants ( the Football Companies)

The system also features generating various reports that would contribute to reach to best practices, which would contribute to the development of the Football Companies in the UAE.

LICENSING REGULATIONS

UAE PRO LEAGUE CLUB LICENSING REGULATIONS 2025-2026
UAE PRO LEAGUE CLUB LICENSING FINANCIAL HANDBOOK 2025-2026