The DP World Tour, which marks 35 years of tournament golf in the United Arab Emirates, has thanked the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) for its continued support to the Tour and help developing the game in the region.
The UAE’s governing body of golf was recognised for its contribution following the culmination of the inaugural Dubai Invitational at Dubai Creek Resort, with Keith Pelley, DP World Tour CEO, and Eric Nicoli, DP World Tour Chairman, thanking His Excellency General Abdullah Al Hashmi, EGF Vice Chairman, for his unwavering support to the Tour.
“The EGF has played a huge part in the DP World Tour’s success in the UAE for many years,” said Pelley.
“We have worked closely together to develop golf, from grassroots to the professional game. At the start of three consecutive DP World Tour events in the UAE, we wanted to show our appreciation to His Excellency General Abdullah Al Hashmi for his hard work and dedication and celebrate the Tour’s strong and enduring relationship with the EGF, which will continue for many years to come.”
The DP World Tour’s long-term association with the UAE dates back to 1989 when Emirates Golf Club hosted the first Hero Dubai Desert Classic, which celebrates its 35th edition this week.
In 2006, the first edition of the Abu Dhabi Championship was held and has gone on to become a mainstay of the schedule, before the Race to Dubai Rankings launched in 2009 along with the DP World Tour Championship – the Tour’s season-ending showpiece at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
In more recent years, the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, which returns for its third edition next week, the Golf in Dubai Championship, the Aviv Dubai Championship, the Hero Cup and the Dubai Invitational have all graced UAE shores with stars such as Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Luke Donald frequenting the fairways at some of the finest golf clubs across the country.
In 2021, shortly after the European Tour group’s main Tour became the DP World Tour, the Tour and EGF announced a long-term partnership aimed at developing golf in the UAE for at least a decade.
Since then, the two organisations have collaborated across all levels of the sport in the UAE, from grassroots initiatives right through to the professional game, which has included the return of the Challenge Tour to the UAE for the first time since 2018.
Last year’s UAE Challenge and Abu Dhabi Challenge each had 30 spots allocated to the EGF to provide a pathway for both Emirati golfers and residents of the UAE, with several members of the UAE National Team grabbing the opportunity to play with the stars of the golfing world, including two-time Hero Dubai Desert Classic champion Stephen Gallacher and 2011 DP World Tour Championship winner Alvaro Quiros.
"Given the current landscape of golf in the Middle East and across the world it is important to have partners that have the same vision as the EGF,” said His Excellency General Abdullah Al Hashmi.
“At the EGF we are committed to working with all tours and governing bodies to help shape the future of the sport we love. We look forward to 2024 and working with the DP World Tour to accomplish our goals."
Following the conclusion of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship next week, which will mark the end of three consecutive weeks in the UAE, the DP World Tour returns to the country in November for the newly formed DP World Tour Play-offs, which will comprise the two final Rolex Series events of the season: the Abu Dhabi Championship and the DP World Tour Championship.
The Abu Dhabi Championship, which has moved from its traditional January slot to a new date of November 7-10, will feature the leading 70 players on the Race to Dubai Rankings while the top 50 at the end of that tournament, qualify for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship from November 14-17, where the DP World Tour’s Number One player will be crowned.
