Meet the FIBA WASL Gulf teams: Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai

BEIRUT (Lebanon) - Motivated will be Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai in their return to FIBA WASL.

After finishing third in the Gulf League inaugurals, the team from UAE is definitely looking to improve on that after finding its way back to the upstart pan-regional competition.

Can they do it?

History

The club was formed after Dubai CSC and Al Shabab merged with Al Ahli back in 2017. It was arguably one of the biggest developments in all of UAE sports.

They are the most successful team in the UAE National Basketball League, having clinched nine of the tilt's 10 championships thus far - including the 2023 competitions.

Shabab Al Ahli have also competed in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup in 2016 and 2017, which were both held in China. The 2016 meet saw them go as far as the Semi-Finals.

Emblem

The logo was created following the merger in 2017, featuring elements from each club's own identities. Al Ahli's horse head logo within a crescent red moon is on top of a golden shield, which pays homage to Dubai CSC's colors. The banner in the middle uses Al Shabab green.

Homecourt

Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai play their home games at the Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall, which also played host in the first-ever FIBA WASL Final 8 last June.

Path to FIBA WASL

One of the league's pioneering members earned a trip back to FIBA WASL after lording over the 2023 UAE National Basketball League by sweeping Al Nasr in the best-of-3 Finals.

Players to watch

Veteran Qais Omar Alshabebi will be bannering practically the same team that fought in the Final 8, together with the Lateef Bros. Hamed and Ahmed plus Saeed Alajmani.

Young Senegalese big man Assane Boye is also part of the team that's welcomed back sweet-shooting brusier Nick Minnerath, who's entering the new season as FIBA WASL's leading scorer.

FIBA