Tour to give Arab golfers their chance

Golfers from the Middle East and North Africa will have more opportunities to develop with the creation of a new tour, vice chairman and CEO of Golf in Dubai Mohamed Juma Buamaim said yesterday.

The new MENA (Middle East North Africa) Tour will create "windows of playing opportunities" for professionals and amateurs in the region and would commence with four tournaments from 2012.

"There is no shortage of talent in the Middle East and North Africa region and even the facilities are second to none, but the players lack regular exposure to high-class competitions so, hopefully, this new tour will create the right environment and develop their skills.

"The prizes will be funded at first by the Sheikh Maktoum Golf Foundation but we hope that we will be able to find sponsors as we go along," said Buamaim. "Also one day we are hoping that the MENA Tour can slot two events into the European Tour's secondary Challenge Tour."

European Tour CEO George O'Grady welcomed the announcement. "The hope is that the MENA Tour will become one of our third-tier tours," said O'Grady at the launch.