One of the best loved features of the UAE sporting landscape will return after an extended absence this week when some of the leading golfers in the world tee it up at Yas Links.
Where has the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship been?
It is 22 months since the tournament last took place. The move from its traditional spot on the calendar came about because of a revamp to the DP World Tour (which was formerly known as the European Tour).
If the galleries at Yas Links this week find walking the course a little more taxing than in past editions of the championship, then there is a reason.
For the rest of its lifespan since its inception in 2006, the tournament was played at the start of the season, in the cooler temperatures of January. November in Abu Dhabi is generally four or five degrees warmer.
Why the switch?
The Tour revamp led to the creation of a new, two-tournament finale to the tour season. The DP World Tour Championship, at Jumeirah Golf Estates (JGE) next week, will still be where the order of merit winner is ultimately decided. But the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship has been moved to create a two-week play-off in the UAE.
What are the DP World Tour play-offs?
The Tour describe the new as “the final sprint of the 2024 Race to Dubai,” but it is more like a middle-distance race than a sprint now.
Since 2009, the leading players in the rankings vied for the final points on offer at the Earth Course in JGE, in a last push down the season’s home straight. Now there is an additional inflation of ranking points at the penultimate tournament of the season at Yas, too.
How does it work?
The top 70 available players in the Race to Dubai standings will tee it up at Yas, with the top 50 after that set for the season finale at JGE.
There are 9,000 ranking points on offer at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and 12,000 available at the DP World Tour Championship next week. The points are allocated based on finishing positions in the tournaments.
Who is winning at the moment?
Rory McIlroy tops the Race to Dubai standings ahead of the penultimate tournament, and might even claim a sixth Harry Vardon Trophy with a week to spare.
His nearest challengers, Thriston Lawrence and Rasmus Hojgaard, are some way back ahead of the start in Abu Dhabi.
Top five
1 Rory McIlroy, 4,532.33 points.
2 Thriston Lawrence, 2,959.94.
3 Rasmus Hojgaard, 2,612.05.
4 Billy Horschel, 2,480.00.
5 Tommy Fleetwood, 2,066.01.
Where is Victor Perez?
The Frenchman won the Falcon Trophy the last time the Abu Dhabi championship took place in January 2023, but he won’t be here to defend it.
Having won at Yas after a thrilling final day back then, Perez has since played more on the PGA Tour in the United States. As such, he played just eight ranking tournaments on the DP World Tour, and is ranking 142 in the Race to Dubai – which is more or less double the number he needed to be to feature in Abu Dhabi.
Tickets
General admission to the tournament at Yas is free via this link.
Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
MATCH INFO
CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures
Tuesday:
Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)
Second legs:
October 23
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Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Transmission: 8-speed auto
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
