Sport Desk
DUBAI: Almost 100 executives from the international duty free industry will descend to Dubai to compete in the 30th edition of the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup, taking place over two days at the Trump International Golf Club on 23rd November and Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club on 24th November, respectively.
The invitation-only tournament has attracted over 50 overseas players in addition to those competing from the UAE and Gulf region and has grown into one of the most popular events on the duty free calendar.
The tournament follows hot on the heels of this week’s Middle East and Africa Duty Free Association (MEADFA) conference, which this year is taking place in Accra, Ghana.
For thirty years, the golfing tournament which started as a concept to bring together representatives of the duty free industry to Dubai for a few days of friendly competition, has turned out to be one of the most successful and popular golfing events on the industry calendar.
Commenting on the forthcoming tournament, Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO of Dubai Duty Free, said: “We are proud to have been running this tournament for three decades, and we are looking forward to welcoming our players and guests this year to enjoy the atmosphere of friendly competition. This milestone year, which also coincides with another milestone year for the operation as we celebrate our 40th anniversary, is a fitting celebration and a great meeting place for those involved in the duty fee industry for social interaction. We are also happy to welcome back Des Smyth as our golf pro for the tournament.”
The past champions of the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup include Steve Flanagan (1993, 1996); Raimund Legnar (1994); Brendan O’Shea (1995); Noel Fox (1997- 2000); Jan Baljet (2001); Ulrik Moller (2002); Adel Zarooni (2003-2004); Art Miller (2005); John Kammerman (2006); Nayma Maya (2007); Mark Van Huesden (2008); James Kfouri (2009); Gurbax Singh (2010); Clark Francis (2011); Rabih Sfeila (2012); Dermot Davitt (2013, 2022); Denise Kennedy (2014), Bayer Khan (2015), Scott Campbell (2016), Clark Francis (2017), Cees van Dooren (2018), Richard Lombard-Chibnall (2019) and Marius Fouche (2021).
Following the first day of golf on 23rd November, guests will be invited to relax and enjoy Dubai Duty Free’s customary hospitality at the ever-popular The Irish Village, with special evening entertainment by Irish bane – The Villagers for an unforgettable experience to all.
Dubai Duty Free’s sporting involvements continue with the Dubai Duty Free SB20 Middle East Championships and the Emirates Dubai Rugby 7s on 1st – 3rd December, respectively.
As Dubai Duty Free approaches its milestone 40th anniversary on 20th December, which is sure to signal another sales milestone for the airport retailer, the operation is poised for another exciting chapter in its history.
