Dubai & Abu Dhabi, UAE

Middle East & Africa

15 Mar

Written By Simon Campbell

Enjoy a winter escape to this desert oasis renowned for world-class golf, guaranteed sunshine and endless gastronomic experiences.

The greats of golf have been coming to Dubai for decades, ever since the Majlis became a golfing oasis in the Middle Eastern desert in the 1980s with the launch of the Desert Classic. Ballesteros, Montgomerie, Couples, Els, Woods, McIlroy, Norman and Faldo – countless icons of the game have made the pilgrimage to what is now also home of the European Tour and the DP World Tour Championship.

The capital of Abu Dhabi, an hour south down the coast, soon followed in Dubai’s footsteps, truly joining the golfing party with the opening of Yas Links in 2010, Kyle Phillips’ design snaking eight creating dramatic hole along the Yas Island shoreline. Chosen as the new host of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship since 2022, the course is regarded by many as the best in the Emirates, making Abu Dhabi an unmissable stop on a UAE golfing adventure.

But Dubai & Abu Dhabi aren’t just epic destinations for golf, they are also where you go for adventures of every kind. Drive a Formula 1 car in the morning, then ride a camel into the desert in the afternoon, before staying in a Bedouin camp beneath the endless stars at night.

The gastronomy goes from authentic local street food to multi-Michelin-starred, and everything in between, and you can of course bring the very best of the Emirate together with the iconic Dubai Desert Classic, held on Majlis, the first-ever grass golf course built on the desert.