| Founded | 1961; 64 years ago (1961) |
|---|---|
| Country | Kuwait |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of clubs | 10 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Kuwaiti Division One |
| Domestic cup(s) | Kuwait Emir Cup Kuwait Crown Prince Cup Kuwait Super Cup |
| International cup(s) | AFC Champions League Two AFC Challenge League Arab Club Champions Cup |
| Current champions | Kuwait SC (20th title) (2024–25) |
| Most championships | Kuwait SC (20 titles) |
| Top scorer |  Bader Al-Mutawa (175 goals) |
| Broadcaster(s) | Shasha |
| Current:2025–26 Kuwaiti Premier League | |
TheKuwaiti Premier League (Arabic:الدوري الكويتي,romanized: Dawriyy al-Kuwaytī), known asZain Premier League due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of theKuwaitfootball pyramid system. Formed in 1961,Kuwait SC holds the best record in the competition, having won 20 times.
The Kuwaiti Premier League officially began in the 1961–62 season, after playing unofficially for eight years (played with group of clubs: "Ahli - Al Jazeera - Arabism - Gulf - Solidarity - Al-Qubali, Al-Nahda, Al-Sharqai, Al-Merqab, Al-Mawalim and Al-Taawon). National companies and ministries were club's first sponsors.
In the1961–1962 season, several new clubs joined (Al-Arabi,Qadsia,Kuwait SC, Kifan High School, Shuwaikh Secondary School, Industrial College and Police Team). Al-Arabi won the league title without losing, and winning 7 points ahead of Qadsia, scoring 42 goals and conceding 10.
In thefollowing season, the number of teams was reduced to 7. Al-Arabi managed to win the second title in a row after winning 18 points ahead of Qadsia, scoring 45 goals and conceding 6.
Thethird season of the league almost witnessed the end of Arabi monopoly, after fierce competition from Qadsia and other teams. Arabi and Qadsia were equal on points before the decisive match. Al-Arabi managed to maintain the title after defeating Qadsia 2-0, scoring overall 42 goals and conceding nine.
In thefourth season, school teams were removed from participating and league saw participation of 3 new clubs (Salmiya,Fahaheel andAl-Shabab). Kuwait SC managed to end the Arabi monopoly to achieve its first title, after winning the competition without any defeat.
The 1960s witnessed a sweep of Al-Arabi when it won six titles against two titles for Kuwait SC and a title for Qadsia.
The 1970 era began with Qadsia winning the1971–1970 season for the second time in its history. Al-Arabi lost its championship in a strange way during ten years. They did not win any title during this period until the end of the1979–1980 season.
The eighties witnessed three new league champions, namelySalmiya who won its first title in the1980–81 season, andKazma club which won the titles of1985–86 and1986–87, as well asAl-Jahra SC, which ended the 1980s by winning the title in the1989–90 season.
The league championship was not held in the 1990–91 season because ofIraqi invasion of Kuwait. Competition began again in the1991–92 season, which was held as group system with qualification. Old format returned with participation of 14 teams in the1994–95 season. Era of the nineties witnessed a parity between clubs, with both Al-Arabi and Al-Salmiya winning 3 titles, and Qadsia and Kazma winning two.
At the beginning of a new millennium,Kuwait SC achieved the league championship after a long absence of 22 years. The most dominant team in this decade were Qadsia winning 5, followed be Kuwait SC winning 4, and Al Arabi winning in the2001–02 season
This decades titles were split betweenKuwait SC andQadsia. with Kuwait SC winning 6 and Qadsia winning 4.Qadsia were able to become the 2nd ever team to win 4 titles in a row by winning the2011–12 season.Kuwait SC were also able to win 4 titles in a row between2016–17 and2019–20.
This decade started withAl-Arabi winning the2020–21 season, followed byKuwait SC winning another 4 titles in a row between2021–22 and2024–25 making Kuwait SC the only Kuwaiti Club to win 4 titles in a row twice.
Source:[1]
| Governorate | Number of titles | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| Al Asimah | 41 | Kuwait SC (20),Al-Arabi (17),Kazma (4) |
| Hawalli | 21 | Qadisia (17),Al-Salmiya (4) |
| Jahra | 1 | Al-Jahra (1) |
| Rank | Players | Goals | Club(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bader Al-Mutawa | 176 | Qadsia |
| 2 |  Firas Al-Khatib | 162 | Al-Nasr,Al-Arabi,Qadsia,Al-Salmiya,Kuwait |
| 3 | Jasem Yaqoub | 146 | Qadsia |
| 4 | Faisal Al-Dakhil | 141 | Qadsia |
| 5 | Yussef Al-Suwayed | 137 | Kazma |
| 6 |  Patrick Fabiano | 133 | Al-Nasr,Kazma,Al-Salmiya,Kuwait |
| 7 | Yousef Naser | 117 | Kazma,Qadsia,Kuwait SC |
| 8 | Ali Marwi | 111 | Al-Salmiya |
| 9 | Abdulrahman Al-Dawla | 105 | Al-Arabi |
| 10 | Bashar Abdullah | 104 | Al-Salmiya,Kuwait |
| Record number of goals |
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Notes:
| National teams | |
|---|---|
| League competitions | |
| Cups | |
| Defunct Tournaments |
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