Doha: The Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) conducted the official draw ceremony for the Men’s General League for the new 2025–2026 sports season on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. The event took place at Lusail Hall in the Qatar Olympic Committee headquarters, attended by members of the Qatari basketball community and representatives of participating clubs.
The ceremony was graced by the presence of Saadon Sabah Al-Kuwari, QBF Secretary-General and National Teams Director; Ahmed Yousef Al-Darwish, QBF Assistant Secretary-General and Chairman of the Competitions Committee; and Essam Lotfi, QBF Technical Expert, alongside representatives of the nine participating clubs — Al Arabi, Al Rayyan, Al Sadd, Al Gharafa, Al Ahli, Qatar SC, Al Shamal, Al Wakrah, and Al Khor.
Tribute to Dr. Mostafa Diab
Al-Kuwari opened the ceremony with a heartfelt tribute to the late Dr. Mostafa Diab, the Federation’s Technical Expert, praising his significant contributions and dedication to the development of Qatari basketball both technically and administratively. He affirmed that the Federation will continue to build upon his legacy by supporting national talent and investing in expertise.
Commending the Arab Achievement
Al-Kuwari also expressed the Federation’s pride in Al Arabi Club, which won the bronze medal and finished third in the 37th Arab Basketball Clubs Championship recently held in Dubai, UAE. He further praised Al Rayyan Club for its strong and competitive performance in the same tournament, describing both achievements as evidence of Qatari basketball’s growing stature in the Arab arena.
Launch of Qatari Super Cup
During the event, Al-Kuwari announced the introduction of the Qatari Basketball Super Cup, to be held for the first time in the country’s history, marking the beginning of the 2025–2026 sports season.
The tournament will feature four clubs: Al Arabi and Al Rayyan (champion and runner-up of last season’s League and HH the Amir Cup), along with Al Sadd and Al Ahli (third and fourth in the General League).
The semi-final matches will be played on Saturday, October 11, 2025, with Al Arabi facing Al Sadd and Al Rayyan meeting Al Ahli. The final match will take place on Monday, October 13, 2025.
New League System
Al-Kuwari explained that the new season will see the implementation of a revised league system aimed at raising the technical level and increasing the number of matches to 15 per team, providing players with greater opportunities for competition and development.
He emphasized that the system will help prepare the Qatar national team in the best possible way for its upcoming commitments, most notably the Asian Qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027. Although Qatar is already qualified as host, the team will participate to gain more experience and readiness.
A Vision for Development
For his part, Al Darwish, QBF Assistant Secretary-General and Chairman of the Competitions Committee, stated that the Federation is introducing new organizational and technical measures for the 2025–2026 season as part of its comprehensive development vision.
He said:
“We are entering an exceptional season filled with numerous challenges and commitments for both national teams and clubs. Among them is Al Arabi Club’s participation in the Asian Super League — a proud representation of Qatari basketball.”
He added:
“Our constant goal is to serve the clubs and ensure our players are well-prepared for the most significant event in Qatar’s basketball history — the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.”
League Draw Details
The draw outlined the early contours of the competition, with the first round kicking off on October 18, 2025, featuring the following matches:
- Al Wakrah vs. Al Sadd
- Al Shamal vs. Al Khor
- Al Rayyan vs. Qatar SC
- Al Ahli vs. Al Gharafa
- Al Arabi will have a bye in the opening round.
The league will continue at a rapid pace until Round 6, scheduled for November 5, 2025, after which the competition will pause to allow the national team to participate in the first window of the Asian World Cup Qualifiers.
The first phase will conclude on December 13, 2025, with the second phase running from December 20, 2025, to January 17, 2026.
The semi-final stage will take place between January 22 and 31, 2026, with the final matches scheduled between February 2 and 7, 2026.
Play-In and Play-Off System
The new “Play-In” stage will involve teams finishing 3rd to 6th in the standings.
- The 3rd-placed team will face the 4th-placed team, with the winner advancing directly to the Play-Off semi-finals to meet the 2nd-placed team.
- Meanwhile, the 5th-placed team will play against the 6th-placed team — the loser will be eliminated, while the winner will face the loser of the 3rd vs. 4th match in a decisive qualifier. The victor of that match will meet the *top-ranked team in the Play-Offs, which will follow a best-of-three format to determine the finalists.
