Al Sadd last won the tournament in 2001 under the original name of Arab Club Champions Cup .
The first round of the King Salman Club Cup drew Al Sadd along with Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, while Qatar SC pitted against Tunisia’s Sfaxien in the first preliminary round of the tournament.
Qatar’s star-studded teams will be joined by 37 teams from the Arab and the African world that will compete in the regional event for football recognition and $10 million in prize money.
A competitive match is up for Al Sadd, who will compete alongside regional goliaths Al-Hilal and Wydad, while Qatar SC will have to go through two qualifying rounds to reach the group stage.
Taking place in Riyadh, the rebranded tournament will be played entirely on the Saudi pitch featuring the cities of Abha, Al Baha and Taif.
In last year’s competition under the name of Arab Club Champions Cup, Raja Casablanca of Morocco were crowned the champions, their third title in the tournament’s history.
Host Saudi Arabia is crowned as the conqueror on the tournament’s pitch, having nailed eight titles.
Absent from the tournament is Africa’s superteam Al Ahly, as the Egyptian team announced its withdrawal from the competition due to scheduling issues.