Baniyas Information

Baniyas FC is one of the sub-divisions operating under Baniyas Sports and Cultural Club. They are among the most formidable teams in the UAE Pro League, with two championship titles to their name.  Nicknamed the Sky Blues, Baniyas are coached by the Romanian former footballer Daniel Isăilă.

The team sport a sky blue kit for their home matches. For away games, they wear a black kit with white socks.

Baniyas Club Stadium serves as the home to this team. It has a capacity of 9,047. 

Baniyas History

Baniyas Sports and Cultural Club was established in 1982 on the order of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports. It was seen as a means to bring development by encouraging young talents in the Baniyas area of Abu Dhabi. 

As a result, competitions were held regularly for young people until they were skilled enough to form a team that could play at external competitions and tournaments. 

‘Al-Smawi’ (‘The Sky Blues’), as they are commonly called, participated in the first division tournament for the 1987/1988 season and have won four editions so far. The team went on to win the President’s Cup in the 1991/1992 season and are two-time Gulf Cup champions. 

The club made its first entry to the UAE Pro League in 2008 and won the competition. They repeated the same feat in the 2017/2018 season. They have also been runner-ups twice, in the 2011/2012 and 2020/2021 seasons.

The president of the cultural club, His Excellency Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, initiated several policies to promote football in the region. Notable among them was appointing His Excellency Sinan Ahmed Mohammed Al Muhairi as the head of the football club. 

Top players to have come out of Baniyas include Nicolás Giménez, Isaac Kiese Thelin, Saša Ivković and Mohammed Al-Hammadi.