Golf has become one of the Gulf’s most consequential sports investments — and the battleground where the world’s two competing professional golf tours were forced to negotiate a historic merger. From the PGA Tour’s longstanding UAE and Saudi tournaments to LIV Golf’s unprecedented disruption of the sport’s global economics, the Gulf’s fingerprints are all over golf’s most turbulent — and arguably most fascinating — period of development.
The UAE’s Golf Legacy
The UAE has hosted professional golf for over two decades. The DP World Tour Championship, held annually at Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth Course in Dubai, has been the European Tour’s (now DP World Tour’s) season finale since 2009 — one of the most significant events in men’s professional golf outside the four majors. The tournament’s Prize fund ranks among the tour’s highest, attracting the world’s top players to Dubai each November.
The Dubai Desert Classic, played at Emirates Golf Club — the first grass course in the Arab world — has a history stretching back to 1989 and has been won by multiple major champions. Abu Dhabi’s HSBC Championship at Yas Links has similarly attracted the world’s elite. The concentration of premium golf courses across Dubai — Emirates Golf Club, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Arabian Ranches, Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club — has made the emirate a genuine golf destination for expatriate players and visiting golfers.
LIV Golf: Saudi Arabia’s Golf Revolution
LIV Golf, the Saudi PIF-backed golf league launched in 2022, represented the most significant disruption to professional golf’s economics in decades. By offering guaranteed contracts of $30–200 million to the world’s top players — including Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, and Cameron Smith — LIV created an alternative tour that forced the PGA Tour into an existential strategic reassessment.
The June 2023 announcement of a framework agreement between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund — to create a combined commercial entity — was one of the most significant corporate developments in sport of recent years. Negotiations on the final structure of this merger have been ongoing through 2024 and 2025, with both tours continuing to operate independently while the commercial integration proceeds.
Golf Infrastructure Across the GCC
The GCC’s golf infrastructure has expanded substantially. Saudi Arabia, with virtually no golf history, has embarked on course development projects tied to its tourism and NEOM strategies. Oman’s Al Mouj Golf in Muscat is one of the GCC’s most scenic courses. Bahrain’s Royal Golf Club and Qatar’s Doha Golf Club provide year-round playing options in those markets. Climate-adapted agronomic techniques and artificial cooling technologies are extending playing seasons in the hottest months.
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See also: GCC Sports Economy 2026, GCC Tourism 2026, and Saudi Vision 2030 Progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is LIV Golf and who owns it?
LIV Golf is a professional golf league launched in 2022, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). It created a competing circuit to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, offering guaranteed contracts to top players. In June 2023, a framework agreement was announced between LIV/PIF, the PGA Tour, and DP World Tour to create a combined commercial entity, with negotiations ongoing through 2024-2025.
What golf tournaments are held in Dubai?
Dubai’s major professional golf tournaments include the DP World Tour Championship (European Tour season finale, Jumeirah Golf Estates, November), the Dubai Desert Classic (Emirates Golf Club, January/February), and historically the DP World Tour’s Omega Dubai Ladies Classic. Dubai also hosts multiple amateur and charity golf events throughout the year at its numerous championship-quality courses.
Also Read: GCC at the Olympics 2026: Gulf Nations’ Journey and Future Ambitions | GCC Sports Economy 2026: How the Gulf Became a Global Sports Powerhouse | Cricket in the GCC: How Gulf Nations are Making Their Mark in International Cricket
