| Season: | 2012–13 |
| Continentalcup2: | Gulf Champions League |
| League Topscorer: | Asamoah Gyan (31 goals) |
| Matches: | 90 |
| Total Goals: | 330 |
| Highest Attendance: | 19,756 (Al-Jazira vs. Al-Ain) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 103 (Ittihad Kalba vs. Dibba Al Fujairah) |
| Average Attendance: | 2,468 |
| Nextseason: | 2013–14 |
The 2011–12 UAE Pro League (known as Etisalat Pro League for sponsorship reasons) was the 38th top-level football season in the UAE and the fifth Professional season. The season was contested by 14 teams due to an expansion in the league system.[1]
Al Ain were the defending champions, having won the previous 2011–12 Pro League season.
On Thursday, 18 April 2013, Al Ain won their match against Dubai Club which guaranteed them as winners of the 2012–13 Pro League and retained their Pro League trophy. They received their trophy on their last match against Al Nasr on Saturday, 25 May 2013.
In June 2012, the UAE FA announced that the league would be expanded into 14 clubs. The two teams that came in the bottom two of the previous campaign – Sharjah and Emirates Club – would enter a promotion/relegation series with the teams that came third and fourth in the second level – Al Dhafra and Al Shaab.[2] These playoff winners would join Ittihad Kalba and Dibba Al Fujairah who came in the top two in the second division.
Promotion/relegation play-offs| Team | Home city | Manager | Stadium | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajman | Ajman |  Abdul Wahab Abdul Qader | Ajman Stadium | 10,000 | |
| Al Ahli | Dubai |  Quique Sánchez Flores | Rashed Stadium | 18,000 | |
| Al Ain | Al Ain | Cosmin Olăroiu | Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium | 15,000 | |
| Al Dhafra | Madinat Zayed |  Laurent Banide | Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Stadium | 12,000 | |
| Al Jazira | Abu Dhabi | Luis Milla | Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium | 42,056 | |
| Al Nasr | Dubai |  Walter Zenga | Al-Maktoum Stadium | 12,000 | |
| Al Shaab | Sharjah | Marius Șumudică | Khalid Bin Mohammed Stadium | 10,000 | |
| Al Shabab | Dubai |  Marcos Paqueta | Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium | 12,000 | |
| Al Wahda | Abu Dhabi |  Josef Hickersberger | Al-Nahyan Stadium | 12,000 | |
| Al Wasl | Dubai | Zabeel Stadium | 12,000 | ||
| Baniyas | Abu Dhabi | Salem Al Orafi | Bani Yas Stadium | 9,570 | |
| Dibba Al Fujairah | Fujairah | Abdullah Mesfer | Fujairah Club Stadium | 3,500 | |
| Dubai | Dubai | René Marsiglia | Police Officers Club Stadium | 6,500 | |
| Ittihad Kalba | Kalba | Zé Mário | Ittihad Kalba Club Stadium | 3,000 |
Managerial changes during the 2012–13 campaign.
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Replaced by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Wasl |  Diego Maradona | Sacked[3] | Bruno Metsu[4] |
| Al Wahda | Josef Hickersberger | Resigned[5] | Branko Ivanković[6] |
| Al Dhafra |  Džemal Hadžiabdić[7] | ||
| Al Sharjah |  Faouzi Benzarti[8] | ||
| Dubai | René Marsiglia[9] | ||
| Baniyas | Gabriel Calderón[10] | Contract not renewed |  Jozef Chovanec[11] |
| Al Jazira | Caio Júnior[12] | Contract not renewed | Paulo Bonamigo[13] |
| Al Shabab | Paulo Bonamigo | Resigned | Marcos Paqueta |
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Replaced by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ittihad Kalba | Dragan Talajić | Sacked[14] | Lotfi Benzarti |
| Al Wasl | Bruno Metsu | Illness[15] | Gilles Morisseau & Nasser Khamis (caretaker) |
| Dibba Al Fujairah | Marcelo Cabo | Sacked[16] | Abdullah Mesfer |
| Al Wasl | Gilles Morisseau & Nasser Khamis (caretaker) | Temporary mandate[17] | |
| Ittihad Kalba | Lotfi Benzarti | Sacked[18] | Zé Mário |
| Al Shaab | Sérgio Alexandre | Sacked | Marius Șumudică |
| Al Dhafra | Džemal Hadžiabdić | Sacked | Laurent Banide |
| Al Wasl | Guy Lacombe | Sacked[19] | |
| Al Jazira | Paulo Bonamigo | Sacked | Luis Milla[20] |
| Al Wahda | Branko Ivanković | Sacked[21] | Josef Hickersberger |
| Baniyas | Jozef Chovanec | Appointed as technical director[22] | Salem Al Orafi |
