Deloitte study reveals golf industry is worth $131m to Dubai

Sport360 staff 13:36 19/11/2015
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  • Julian Small (l), M Abdulla bin Damithan and Nick Tarratt at a press conference in Dubai.

    The golf industry's economic impact in Dubai is worth $131m per year, according to a Deloitte study.

    Events such as this weekend’s DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates contribute almost two thirds to golf’s economic impact in Dubai.

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    The comprehensive study also reveals the total gross expenditure on golf in the emirate is $270m, a quarter of total sports expenditure, while the estimated economic impact of golf tourism in Dubai is $38m – showing that golf can be considered as a major growth catalyst for Dubai’s sports industry as a whole.

    While Dubai’s nine golf clubs and 11 courses are at the heart of the golf industry, with some 410,000 rounds played annually, almost two thirds ($80 million) of golf’s economic impact per annum is attributable to events.

    The OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic has been a fixture on The European Tour International Schedule since 1989, while this weekend’s seventh annual DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates is expected to attract a remarkable 65,000 spectators.

    With the sporting world’s gaze on the tournament, such events further increase the spotlight on Dubai and leading golfing facilities.

    Nick Tarratt, Director European Tour International in Dubai, said during a press conference: “When I arrived in the UAE some 25 years ago, there was only one 18-hole grass course in the entire Middle East. Today, the UAE is home to 9 clubs and 11 golf courses, while golf has developed across the entire region with grass courses now in countries such as Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

    "The sport is in great health in Dubai and the UAE but that’s only part of the story – we have enjoyed remarkable growth in that quarter of a century with numbers of golfers both UAE residents and international visitors assisted through our European Tour mantra of ‘play where the pros play.” 

    Julian Small, Managing Director of Club Operations at Jumeirah Golf Estates, commented on the report findings: “As host venue of the DP World Tour Championship, we have a front row view to the large-scale impact major golf events are having in Dubai and the UAE. As the sports industry continues to grow – with golf accounting for a significant portion of the sector – we see major potential for Jumeirah Golf Estates, as a leading residential golf community, to leverage and maximize Dubai’s reputation as a global sporting destination of choice."

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