Rory McIlroy will aim to become the first five-time winner of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic after the defending champion confirmed his participation at the 2025 tournament.
The world No 3 from Northern Ireland went back-to-back by winning the 2023 and 2024 trophies, adding to earlier victories in 2009 and 2015, the former his first professional tournament win.
The 2025 Desert Classic will take place January 16-19 at Emirates Golf Club.
“I’m thrilled to be returning to the Emirates Golf Club for the 2025 event," McIlroy, 35, said. "This is a tournament I relish playing and continuing my run here by adding a fifth title would be really special and an ideal way to kick off 2025.
“The support we get in Dubai is always fantastic, it’s an incredible course with a great atmosphere, and I’m looking forward to what is always a competitive event.”
The announcement comes amid a rollercoaster season for McIlroy, who has won three times so far but has generated more headlines for the near misses than the triumphs.
In addition to his title in Dubai, McIlroy won twice on the PGA Tour, collecting trophies at the Wells Fargo Championship and alongside Shane Lowry at the Zurich Classic. However, his year will perhaps be best remembered for his late collapse at the US Open where he held a two-shot lead only to bogey three of the last four holes, missing two putts inside four feet, to hand victory to Bryson DeChambeau and extend his wait for a major title to a decade.
Following the conclusion of the PGA Tour season – McIlroy placed tied-ninth in the Tour Championship – there was more heartbreak on the DP World Tour as the four-time major winner finished runner-up in successive tournaments at the Irish Open in front of his home fans and at the flagship BMW PGA Championship.
McIlroy still has the chance to finish his year on a high; he competes at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (November 7-10) and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship (November 14-17) – two elevated Rolex Series events that comprise the new-look play-off series. He also leads the season-long Race to Dubai standings and is aiming to win the DP World Tour's order of merit for a sixth year.
“We are delighted that Rory is returning to the Emirates Golf Club in January, in what promises to be another exciting tournament," said Simon Corkill, executive tournament director of the Dubai Desert Classic. "Rory will be joined by a world-class list of golfers, fighting for their place on our distinguished Roll of Honour.”
The Dubai Desert Classic is also a Rolex Series event and the 2025 tournament will offer a prize pool of $9 million. It is the oldest professional tournament in the Middle East; next year’s event will be the 36th edition and McIlroy is its most successful player.
He first won around the Majlis Course in 2009 when, at the age of 19, he edged out Justin Rose to win by one shot for his maiden professional tournament victory. Six years later, he collected his second Dallah Trophy with a three-stroke victory over Alex Noren. McIlroy then went back-to-back in the two most recent tournaments, claiming one-shot wins over long-time Ryder Cup rival Patrick Reed in 2023 and Adrian Meronk earlier this year.
The announcement comes as ticketing opens for next year’s event, with both free general admission tickets and a range of early bird hospitality packages available. More details on the 2025 player lineup will be announced soon. For more information visit: www.dubaidesertclassic.com.
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The view from The National
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Pakistan T20 series squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shahzad, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammed Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammed Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Amir Yamin, Mohammed Amir (subject to fitness clearance), Rumman Raees, Usman Shinwari, Umar Amin
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
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Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
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