Aldar named title partner of 2026 Abu Dhabi Championship at Yas Links
Version 2: A third outlet, the business title Aletihad, has now carried the same announcement, adding no new facts beyond the official releases.
In short
The DP World Tour announced that Aldar will become the new title partner of the 2026 Abu Dhabi Championship, which becomes the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship and will be held from 5-8 November at Yas Links. Staged by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the DP World Tour, it is the first of two events in the season-ending DP World Tour Play-Offs, with the leading 70 available players on the Race to Dubai Rankings teeing up and the top 50 then qualifying for the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. Aldar became an official marketing partner and official real estate partner of the DP World Tour in 2025.
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The DP World Tour has announced that Aldar will become the new title partner of the 2026 Abu Dhabi Championship, which will be called the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship. The announcement was carried by two official outlets and, later the same afternoon, by the business outlet Aletihad. The tournament is the first of two events in the season-ending DP World Tour Play-Offs. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The 2026 Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, staged by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the DP World Tour, will take place from 5-8 November and will once again be held at Yas Links. The leading 70 available players on the Race to Dubai Rankings will tee it up, with the top 50 then qualifying for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai the following week. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Aldar, said Abu Dhabi has established itself as a global hub for world-class sport, entertainment and experiences, and that Aldar had been instrumental in shaping Yas Island into one of the region's most sought-after places to live, visit and invest. He said becoming title partner builds naturally on that foundation, adding that the partnership gives the company a platform to deepen connections while showcasing Abu Dhabi and Yas Island to a growing global audience. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Aref Hamad Al Awani, secretary general of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said the championship builds on Abu Dhabi's success in hosting world-class tournaments and reinforces the capital's position as a leading destination for golf. In the wording carried by WAM, he welcomed Aldar as the tournament's title partner, saying the partnership reflects the important role national organisations and the sports sector play together in supporting and hosting global events. The versions of his remarks published by the Abu Dhabi Media Office and Aletihad are cut off mid-sentence. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The announcement follows Aldar becoming an Official Marketing Partner and Official Real Estate Partner of the DP World Tour in 2025. Its Abu Dhabi Media Office text describes Aldar as the developer of destinations including Yas Island and Saadiyat Island, with over 35,000 homes delivered since inception and a portfolio of recurring income assets valued at more than US$15 billion; the home count also appears in Aletihad's account, while the asset valuation appears only in the Abu Dhabi Media Office text. The 2025 tournament was won by England's Aaron Rai, who went on to win his first Major at the US PGA Championship earlier in 2026. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The title partnership ties a major Abu Dhabi developer to a DP World Tour play-off event, and the outlets carrying the announcement frame it as reinforcing Abu Dhabi's position as a golf destination. Because the tournament sits at the start of the season-ending Play-Offs, its result decides which players reach the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai the following week. The documents give no financial detail of the partnership.
Key facts
- Aldar will become the new title partner of the 2026 Abu Dhabi Championship, which will be called the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The tournament will take place from 5-8 November at Yas Links [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- It is staged by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the DP World Tour [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- It is the first of two events in the season-ending DP World Tour Play-Offs [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The leading 70 available players on the Race to Dubai Rankings will play, with the top 50 then qualifying for the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai the following week [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Aldar became an official marketing partner and official real estate partner of the DP World Tour in 2025 [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The 2025 tournament was won by England's Aaron Rai, who went on to win his first Major at the US PGA Championship earlier in 2026 [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Aldar will become the new title partner of the 2026 Abu Dhabi Championship, and the event will be named the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The 2026 tournament will be held from 5-8 November at Yas Links and is staged by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the DP World Tour [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The event is the first of two in the DP World Tour Play-Offs, with the leading 70 available players on the Race to Dubai Rankings taking part and the top 50 qualifying for the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai the following week [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Aldar became an Official Marketing Partner and Official Real Estate Partner of the DP World Tour in 2025 [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak is chairman of Aldar and Aref Hamad Al Awani is secretary general of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Financial terms and the duration of Aldar's title partnership are not stated None of the documents gives the value or length of the agreement.
- Aldar's portfolio figures, including over 35,000 homes delivered since inception and recurring income assets valued at more than US$15 billion The 35,000-home figure appears in the Abu Dhabi Media Office and Aletihad texts; the US$15 billion asset valuation appears only in the Abu Dhabi Media Office text and is a single-source claim.
- The full text of the remarks by Aref Hamad Al Awani The Abu Dhabi Media Office and Aletihad versions of his quote are cut off mid-sentence; the fuller wording appears only in the WAM report.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The Abu Dhabi Media Office publishes the announcement of Aldar as title partner of the 2026 Abu Dhabi Championship [ 1 ]
- Aletihad publishes its report on the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship taking place in November [ 2 ]
- WAM publishes its report on the tournament taking place from 5-8 November at Yas Links [ 3 ]