The rivalry between the two teams stems from the fact that they are the most successful clubs in
Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Al Ain established themselves as a top club in Abu Dhabi by winning two
Abu Dhabi championships in 1974 and 1975 and later a top club in the country when they won the
League title in 1977.
Al Wahda's success was limited during that time. The rivalry sparked when the two clubs started exchanging titles around 1997 to 2005, Al Wahda won three titles while Al Ain won five, three out of those eight seasons had both clubs finish at the top two. The 2004–05 season was one the most significant time as Al Wahda won the
league title while Al Ain won the
president's cup with a 3–1 score line at extra time. Even though Al Ain would win five more league titles while Al Wahda only won once, matches between the two continue to spark major controversies and the two clubs rarely sign players and managers that have represented the other club to this day. During a fixture between the two in March 2022, fighting broke out between fans of both clubs after Al Ain won 1–0. Abu Dhabi police had to arrest several football fans during the incident.
Background Al Ain being from the
Eastern region while Al Wahda hails from the city of
Abu Dhabi, the two clubs compete to the claim the title of Abu Dhabi's best club. Many argue that this rivalry is the most significant in the country as the two clubs had the longest duel of battling titles from the late 90s to early 2000s, however with teams like
Shabab Al Ahli and
Al Jazira gaining momentum in recent years, both clubs has shifted their focus away from traditionally competing against each other. ==Statistics==