The Doha-based club have now become the only second Qatari side to have won the regional championship.

Qatar’s Al Arabi has won the 36th Arab Club Basketball Championship on Saturday, defeating home side Al Ittihad in Egypt’s Alexandria.

The Doha-based sports club clinched their first regional title with a score of 81-71 at the Borg Al Arab Sports Club, playing the tournament as domestic champions of Qatar.

Al Arabi’s Mustafa Rashed scored 29 points as American power forward Victor Rudd, who joined the club earlier in October, delivered a stellar performance to land a ten-point win in the big finale.

Al Ittihad, meanwhile, were in contention for a record eighth title and had defeated Al Arabi 93-79 in the group stages to qualify for the quarter-finals as the winners of Group A.

That was the Qatari side’s only loss in the tournament, having cruised to the knockouts with four convincing wins in the group stages.

The quarter-finals then saw Al Arabi defeat fellow Qatari counterparts Al Gharafa by twenty points to set up a semi-final clash against Kuwait’s Kazma SC.

Bolstered by new signings, the Doha-based club then defeated Kazma 87-80, on the day Al Ittihad edged out Sporting Club 83-72.

With their maiden win, Al Arabi have now become the second Qatari side to ever win the Arab Club Basketball Championship.

Only Al Rayyan had previously managed to win the annual tournament, representing Qatar in 2014.