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Abu Dhabi Sports Council and DP World Tour extended partnership until 2028
The Rolex Series Abu Dhabi Championship will embark on a new era with a new date and elevated position on the tour’s international schedule
Aref Al Alawi (left), General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and Guy Kinnings, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Commercial Officer of the DP World Tour (Photo supplied). - Supplied photo
Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the European Tour group have signed an extension to their long-term partnership that will secure the Abu Dhabi Championship on the DP World Tour schedule for another five years until 2028.
The Rolex Series event is set to embark on a new era, with a new date and elevated position on the DP World Tour’s international schedule in 2024.
Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, visited the headquarters of the DP World Tour at Wentworth Club in England to sign the agreement, where he was joined by Guy Kinnings, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Commercial Officer of the DP World Tour.
In 2024, the 19th Abu Dhabi Championship will be held at Yas Links on Yas Island and will move from its traditional January position to November 7-10.
The Rolex Series event now becomes the first of two tournaments in the new season-ending DP World Tour playoffs. It will feature the leading 70 players on the Race to Dubai Rankings in partnership with Rolex, with the top 50 at the end of the tournament qualifying for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
The two Play-Off events in the UAE will have a combined prize pool of $19 million.
This new agreement extends a partnership that dates back to the first staging of the tournament in 2006. The new date in November, and elevated status as a Play-Off event, will provide enhanced opportunities to boost the number of overseas spectators visiting the tournament – securing additional economic value to the region.
The tournament has already won multiple awards in recent years for its innovation and staging, including “Best Sponsorship Collaboration” for Abu Dhabi Sports Council and Title Partner HSBC at the 2023 Middle East Sports Industry Awards, where the DP World Tour was also named “Sports Event Organiser of the Year”.
Speaking about the new agreement Aref Al Awani, said: “Abu Dhabi has become a hub for world-class golf, with the Abu Dhabi Championship being a jewel in the crown that also includes two Challenge Tour events and the inaugural HERO Cup earlier this year.
“The Abu Dhabi Championship has played a key role in marketing Abu Dhabi as a golf tourism destination and brings significant local economic value each year.
“The new schedule for 2024 will give the tournament even greater prominence and we look forward to working in close partnership with the DP World Tour to keep delivering an innovative spectacle that is befitting of the Rolex Series,” added Al Awani.
Guy Kinnings, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Commercial Officer of the DP World Tour added: “The Abu Dhabi Championship has become a true festival of golf that blends world-class golf with family-friendly entertainment.
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“We are also proud of the fact that the tournament has embraced a wide range of community initiatives that are leaving a lasting legacy, from its strong sustainability credentials that are supporting our journey to net zero by 2040, to its support of local educational initiatives through our Golf Futures programme.
“The tournament’s November slot for 2024, within our new DP World Tour Play-Offs, will further elevate its profile as world-class golfers descend on Yas Links once again,” he added.
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