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The Rolex series begins late January with the much-anticipated Hero Dubai Desert Classic. The competitive golf series includes 5 tournaments, three of which are held in the UAE, including the opening and the DP World Tour Championship finale. First introduced in 2009 and defined as a premium Rolex event in 2017, the Hero Dubai Desert Classic is the longest-running golf tournament in the Middle East and has quickly become the most anticipated golf tournament in the region, where big names such as Rory Mcllroy, 4-time tournament champion and currently ranked as 2nd in the world, and Tommy Fleetwood, Dubai resident and globally ranked in 5th place, will take centre stage, accompanied by Viktor Hovland, the 2022 tournament champion and European Ryder Cup team member; to compete for a victorious status and an impressive $9 million prize.
The relationship between golf and Rolex was cultivated in 1967 when Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player – who are collectively known as the ‘Big Three’ – became the Swiss watch brand’s first professional golfing brand ambassadors. Since then, Rolex says the brand established itself as the official timekeeper for a number of tournaments and championships, later developing an official series. The pairing between golf and Rolex is refined by the UAE, who share a common admiration for innovation as well as an appreciation for heritage. The relationship between these three elements is only further reinforced by their individual pledges towards achieving sustainable evolution.
In 2025, the Rolex series succeeded in hosting every one of the 5 events at a GEO Certified venue. This accreditation is a strategy designed by the GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf, where the sports venues and facilities are independently assessed across four themes, which include the preservation of nature, responsible use of resources, community engagement, and climate action. It is no surprise that the UAE met these rigorous standards, with its mission to sustainably advance and develop the nation, and create a sustainable lifestyle for its residents, remaining a top priority for several years now. Meanwhile, the luxury watch company has publicly vowed to significantly reduce any further greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, a mission they seem to be actively pursuing.
The tournaments’ endeavour towards a sustainable future for golf is best exemplified by the Green Incubator Challenge, an initiative that invites entrepreneurs who want to provide sustainable services or products to enter, and chosen entries and ideas will be unveiled at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic tournament in 2027. This challenge not only invites viewers to think more sustainably but also creates a culture of environmental consciousness within the sport and its fandom, where ideas are both supported and implemented. Simon Corkill, Executive Director of Hero Dubai Desert Classic, tells ICON MENA that submissions have showcased a “genuine appetite in the innovation community for solving real-world sustainability challenges in the events space,” proving that hunger for a solution towards a healthier planet is ever-growing.
The narrative surrounding sustainability in these various missions is one of positivity and celebration, an almost natural next step and progression that has managed not to taint the integrity of the sport. Simon Corkill explains the events strategy for success: “The key is integrating sustainability into the experience rather than treating it as separate or compromising.” Here, a solution lies in metro accessibility, water refill stations, solar panels, waste management, and the Green Incubator Challenge, and GEO-certified venues, which offer a point of evolution in the approach and attitude towards complete sustainability. The strive to make the Rolex series an environmentally conscious golfing tournament and experience is not something that was done by accident; simply stated, this was a conscious approach that was actively pursued by golf representatives, Rolex, and the UAE, who share a common goal of crafting an enjoyable, action-packed, and sustainable series at the intersection of innovation and heritage.
The Hero Dubai Desert Classic will take place from January 22nd to 25th. Viewers can spend the four days under the Dubai winter sun, enjoying food, drinks, and competitive games by some of the best golfers in the world, an event appropriately described by Corkill as a “festival of golf.” The series will travel to Scotland and England before returning to the region at the end of the year. The Abu Dhabi championship will take place on Yas Island at the beginning of November, and the series will be completed in mid-November at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, where players will compete for the finale’s $10 million prize.
