Three UAE Clubs Merge Following Order From Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed

Dubai VP & Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid ordered "the merger" of Al Shabab, Al Ahli and Dubai, according to John McAuley of THE NATIONAL. The three football clubs "had been expected to compete separately" in next season’s Arabian Gulf League, but will now be known as Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club, "with assets and properties of the trio transferred to the single entity with immediate effect." It was also confirmed that Sharjah and Al Shaab, clubs in the AGL and the First Division, respectively, "have also merged." The new enterprise will be known as Sharjah Cultural Club. According to the decision, all assets and investments of the three clubs will be managed by an asset management and investment company formed under the leadership of Hisham Abdullah Al Qassim. A tweet from Dubai Media Office’s official Twitter account attributed a quote to Sheikh Mohammed saying, "Our objective is to build a club that can compete regionally and globally" (THE NATIONAL, 5/16).