Mena Golf Tour to end season with Al Ain Championship

The Mena Golf Tour will bring its landmark 2025/26 season to a close in its UAE home as the Al Ain Championship takes centre stage at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club from March 30 to April 1, with the field competing over three rounds for a $100,000 prize fund and the season-ending Rankings title.

Events in Portugal and Egypt have already delivered outstanding competition in what has been one of the most successful and captivating seasons in the tour’s history, with Morocco, Jordan and Qatar still to come before the tour’s leading players descend on the Garden City for the finale.

Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club is a venue with impeccable credentials. The championship course has hosted the Abu Dhabi Challenge on the HotelPlanner Tour for the past two consecutive years, cementing its standing as one of the finest tournament venues in the region.

With water coming into play on the majority of holes and several fairways bordered by Al Ain’s horse racing track, the layout demands precision and course management throughout. The course’s signature hole is the par-five 10th - at 678 yards, the longest par five in the Arabian Gulf - a formidable challenge that will test even the most powerful players in the field.

Beyond the fairways, the club offers Olympic and international-standard facilities spanning equestrian, shooting, rugby and cricket, making it one of the most exceptional multi-sport venues anywhere in the region.

Mohammed Rashid Al Nasseri, General Manager of Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, said:

“We are delighted to welcome the MenaTour back to Al Ain Equestrian Shooting and Golf Club. It’s a proud moment for us to once again host another OWGR-recognised event and provide a platform for talented professionals and rising stars from across the region. “Our course has a strong history of tournament golf, and we look forward to seeing the players compete here once again. The return of the MenaTour is an important step in continuing to grow the game in the UAE and support the development of professional golf in the region.”

Dubai-based Garrick Porteous, who claimed victory at the Abu Dhabi Challenge on the same course in 2024, knows better than most what awaits the field.

“I love Al Ain, I’ve got some great memories of my HotelPlanner Tour victory there,” said the Englishman.

“Really nice people, a great club and a lovely environment with all the different sports going on. It’s got some really challenging holes, especially on the back nine and if the wind blows, it can be set up quite tricky. It’s always in fantastic condition so I always really enjoy playing there.”

Among the stories that will define the Al Ain Championship, none carries greater resonance than that of Ahmad Skaik. The UAE’s leading professional golfer will bring a strong affinity and deep course knowledge to Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club having competed in the Abu Dhabi Challenge on the HotelPlanner Tour there in both 2024 and 2025, as well as featuring in the inaugural UAE Cup at the same course in October 2024. For Skaik, this is familiar and beloved territory.

Now competing as a professional, the standard-bearer for Emirati golf will carry the hopes of a nation as he steps out in front of his home crowd for the season finale. His journey - from the UAE National Team to the HotelPlanner Tour and now a fully-fledged professional - embodies everything the MenaGolf Tour was built to support and celebrate.