Arabian Gulf League: CEO Waleed Al Hosani's bold vision for a connected, packed-out future

“The Arabian Gulf League has very strong viewership when it comes to TV and social media, where it is highly engaged.

“But when it comes to footfall to the stadium, we are still lacking people and it depends on how strong the match is.

“For the last 10 years, the clubs were focusing only on the less than 15 per cent of the population – the UAE nationals.

“Now, we just started opening our doors to the expat communities. If we play it right, we will see big changes in the coming years.

“We need to be patient and constant on these initiatives. We should not stop targeting and we should maintain our plans, to make sure we get the intended result.”

More than 140,000 people have come through the turnstiles in the first 10 rounds of the top flight this term, many via electronic tickets bought through official partner PlatinumList.net. Yet this figure is not where the ambitious Abu Dhabi-native – and boyhood football enthusiast – wants it to be, or where the clubs need it to be in line with the enduring drive towards greater financial self-sustainability.

Independence from the UAE Football Association was marked by a rebranding from the old Pro League Committee last August. The glamorous ceremony featured a takeover of Dubai’s iconic Burj Khalifa.

This month heralded the start of a dedicated scheme of 60 engaging activations across key locations in the UAE.

The UAEPL Fan Zone, UAEPL Arena and UAEPL Experience will provide exposure at diverse venues, from Yas Mall, GEMS Winchester School – Fujairah and du Arena. A specific ‘Match of the Week’ in each round will be covered by pre-game activities.

Careful thought has been applied to a vastly improved match-day experience. This features, among other things, enhanced bilingual signage and food and beverage offerings, plus prize raffles headlined by 30 brand-new Audi A3 cars.

An embryonic four-year strategic plan announced in March 2017 has metamorphosed into a forward-thinking and inclusive approach.

Much of the aforementioned 140,000 attendance figure comes from the “hardcore” Emirati supporters that Al Hosani is greatly appreciative of.

Extra engagement with the UAE’s various communities, however, is at the heart of his drive.

November 2017’s decree that has allowed expats, residents, UAE-born and children of Emirati mothers to be able to compete in official UAE competitions has opened up another channel of contact. Al Jazira’s Abdullah Ramadan is now in the UAE side, while Wahda winger Yahya Al Ghassani is among those impressing in the UAE Under-23s.

The independent research group Global Media Insight estimated this month that 45.8 per cent of the nation’s total 9.5m population in 2018 was derived from India, Pakistan and the Philippines. Yet none of the foreign contingent from each of the 14 AGL clubs has ever contained a player from those countries in the professional era.

Has such a signing been examined?

“Of course,” says Al Hosani. “We have discussed this with the clubs.

“I think they are open to the idea. It needs to be balanced.

“The priority is to always get the most talented player that can play in their squad. Everyone wants that.

“But at the same time, we also want to look at the other factor – what kind of influence could this player have?

“From what we are seeing now in Asia, all these countries are growing very fast when it comes to having young talent who could represent them. I think by having such players in the league, it will add value through viewership and awareness on the international level.”

This remit has stretched beyond the physical space and into the digital one. The AGL’s online footprint is impressive – and expanding.

From May-December 2019, the AGL’s English Twitter account’s following has grown 77 per cent. @FantasyAGL’s has more than doubled in size.

YouTube subscriber growth to 19,000 is at 30 per cent. The @AGLeague Arabic Twitter and Instagram account welcomed percentage-point rises in the teens, even though both boast six-figure followings.

More than 40 million plays have been logged this season since the competition became the first entity in the Middle East and North Africa to join football video content platform Dugout.

There was also the boost this autumn of Al Ain being represented on the wildly popular FIFA video game series. This dissemination through eGames is at the forefront of Al Hosani’s thoughts.

“This is very, very exciting news,” he says of the Al Ain inclusion “We hope eventually the whole league will be on.

“eGames is a different universe. First, it will start in our activations and we can explore how people engage with these activities.

“Eventually, we will have our own eLeague that will be formal and acknowledged by FIFA. Inshallah, it will get sponsorship.”

Widening horizons has been extended to the viewing experience. All AGL and AG Cup games for 2019/20 will feature English commentary for the first time on Abu Dhabi Sports, Dubai Sports and Sharjah Sports in the MENA region.

International rights have been purchased by Fanseat in Europe and Sports Flicks in Australia and New Zealand.

Al Hosani says: “I think we are proud of where we are now. We are now broadcasting internationally, getting exposure in the European and Australian markets.

“The good thing is that now this is generating revenue to the league and this gives a good indication that we are creating good content that people are seeking.”

The UAEPL and Al Hosani have come far together. Significant steps remain, although the organisation would struggle to be in safer hands.

He says: “It is a big responsibility. We consider these challenges as an opportunity, not an obstacle.

“It is an area that no one has centralised, the initiatives, be that through the clubs, FA and the league. We must target the communities – and the expat communities specifically.

“I believe it is an ambitious approach. It will need time and patience.”