Al Riyadi Club Beirut
Lebanese basketball team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Al Riyadi Club Beirut (Arabic: نادي الرياضي بيروت, lit. 'Sporting Club Beirut'), commonly known simply as Al Riyadi, is a multi-sports club team based in Manara, a district in Beirut, Lebanon. Founded in 1934,[2] the multi-sports club, which is mainly known for their basketball program, also plays ping-pong, martial arts, and other sports.
| Al Riyadi | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Nickname | دولة الرياضي[1] The Yellow Castle | |||
| Leagues | Lebanese Basketball League Basketball Champions League Asia | |||
| Founded | 1934 | |||
| History | Al Riyadi Club Beirut (1934–present) | |||
| Arena | Saeb Salam Arena | |||
| Capacity | 2,500 | |||
| Location | Manara, Beirut, Lebanon | |||
| Team colours | Yellow, White and Blue | |||
| Main sponsor | Tecno Mobile | |||
| President | Mazen Tabbara | |||
| Head coach | Ahmad Farran | |||
| Team captain | Amir Saoud | |||
| Championships | 3 Champions League Asia 2 West Asia Super League 4 WABA Champions Cup 5 Arab Club Championship 38 Lebanese League 4 Lebanese Cup 2 Lebanese Supercup | |||
| Retired numbers | 3 (10, 6, 4) | |||
| Website | riyadi.com | |||
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Al Riyadi is the most successful basketball team in Lebanese history, and one of the best in Asian basketball.[3][4] Competing in the Lebanese Basketball League, Al Riyadi is the most decorated Lebanese basketball club, with 38 league titles, a joint-record three Basketball Champions League Asia titles, and five Arab Club Championships. Nicknamed "the Yellow Castle", basketball team plays its home games at the Saeb Salam Arena.[4] Their rivalry with Sagesse, dubbed the Beirut derby, is the most anticipated basketball game in Lebanon.
History
Al Riyadi Club was founded in 1934 by Hussein Sejaan, Hassan Ladki, Fouad Zantout, Youssef Shaker, Mustafa Shaker, Zouheir Yatim, Helmi Chehab, and Wafic Nsouli, who formed the first basketball team.[2]
The team played its first game against a foreign team in 1947, when Al Riyadi faced Turkish club Galatasaray, and lost the game 33–39. The game was attended by the first President of Lebanon Bechara El Khoury.[2]
Al Riyadi launched its first women's basketball team in 1965. The club built its own sports arena, the Saeb Salam Arena, in 1991, helped by former President Tammam Salam.[2]
In the 2023–24 season, Al Riyadi secured their 31st Lebanese league championship,[5] their first FIBA West Asia Super League title,[6] and their third Asian continental title by winning the 2024 Basketball Champions League Asia.[7] As champions, they qualified directly for the 2024 FIBA Intercontinental Cup, making them the first Lebanese team to compete in the tournament.[8] At the 2024 FIBA Intercontinental Cup, Al Riyadi finished 4th out of 6 teams with a record of 1 win and 2 losses.[9][10]
Arenas and facilities
The Saeb Salam Arena was finished in 1991 and holds a capacity for 2,500 people.[11] Al Riyadi played last 2 seasons their FIBA West Asia Super League at Nohad Nawfal Stadium, due to its big capacity, while waiting to innovate the Saeb Salam Arena in Manara.
| Home arenas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arena | Tenure | |
| Rawshe | 1934–1947 | |
| Sanayeh | 1947–1954 | |
| Rawshe | 1954–1991 | |
| Saeb Salam Arena | 1991–present | |
Achievements
The following is a list of achievements the club has won.[12]
Domestic
- Lebanese Basketball League
- Winners (38): 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025
- Lebanese Basketball Cup
- Winners (4): 2006, 2007, 2008, 2019
- Lebanese Basketball Supercup
- Winners (2): 2012, 2019
International
- Basketball Champions League Asia
- Arab Club Basketball Championship
- Winners (5): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010
- FIBA West Asia Super League
- WABA Champions Cup
Players
Retired numbers
| Al Riyadi retired numbers | ||||
| N° | Player | Position | Tenure | Ceremony date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Jean Abdelnour | SF | 2009–2023 | 13 December 2023[18] |
| 6 | Ali Mahmoud | PG | 2004–2016, 2017–2019 | |
| 10 | Ismail Ahmad | C | 2000–01, 2004–17, 2018–20, 2022–present | |
Current roster
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
| Al Riyadi roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated: 18 January 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notable players
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
| Criteria |
|---|
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To appear in this section a player must have either:
|
Jean Abdelnour- Ismail Ahmad
/
Dalibor Bagarić
Benoit Benjamin- Rodney Buford
- Tony Dawson
- /
Quincy Douby - Fadi El Khatib
- Andre Emmett
- / Matt Freije
- Dion Glover
- Donté Greene
- Manny Harris
- Mike Harris
- Rick Hughes
- Orlando Johnson
- Ricky Ledo
- Zach Lofton
/ Ali Mahmoud
/
Thon Maker- Randolph Morris
- Kevin Murphy
- Lee Nailon
Julius Nwosu- / Daniel Ochefu
Aleksandar Radojević- / Duop Reath
- Jamal Robinson
- Jonathon Simmons
- Willie Warren
- Loren Woods
