Daan Huizing set the early clubhouse target as the inaugural NBO Oman Open got under way at Al Mouj Golf.
The layout has played host to five Challenge Tour events but was making its European Tour debut and the players were greeted with perfect conditions and stunning views at the Greg Norman designed layout.
Dutchman Huizing signed for a 66 to get to six under and sit a shot ahead of South Korea's Rak-hyun Cho, who had five holes left to play.
Frenchman Matthieu Pavon and Paraguay's Fabrizio Zanotti were then in the clubhouse at four under.
Huizing lost his card in 2014 after graduating from the Challenge Tour and has played just 11 European Tour events since but looked very much at home in the Middle East.
He made a hat-trick of gains from the seventh and had a two-shot lead when he added further birdies on the 12th, 15th and 16th. He dropped a shot on the next but picked it straight back up on the last.
Cho had birdies on the first, third, fourth, sixth, seventh and 12th with a dropped shot on the tenth.
Pavon finished in a tie for third here at the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final in 2016 as he graduated from the Challenge Tour and enjoyed a successful rookie season last term, finishing 49th on the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex.
Starting on the tenth, he birdied his opener, the 12th, 17th, second and third but dropped a shot on the fourth.
Zanotti, a two-time European Tour winner, was bogey-free in his round with birdies on the 12th, second, sixth and seventh.
England's Andy Sullivan was four under with one to play alongside Australian Sam Brazel and Scot Bradley Neil, who were both playing the back nine.
