The European Tour Group - which administers the DP World Tour, Challenge Tour, Legends Tour, G4D Tour and the Ryder Cup in Europe - is delighted to announce the appointment of Abdullah Al Naboodah as a Non-Executive Director.
Mr Al Naboodah is the Chairman of Al Naboodah Investments and an Executive Board member of Saeed and Mohammed Al Naboodah Group, a major Emirati family-owned conglomerate with more than 60 years of history in the Middle East region.
Mr Al Naboodah played an integral part in developing the overall strategic brand positioning of the Al Naboodah Group and spearheaded the Group’s growth objectives across the Middle East.
More recently, he founded Phoenix Capital, a private investment vehicle with interests spread across various business sectors from Private Equity and Venture Capital to Real Estate and sports investments.
He has also been a pivotal figure in the development of golf in the United Arab Emirates over the last 20 years.
In 1988, the Al Naboodah Group helped build Emirates Golf Club, the first grass golf course in the UAE which hosted the first European Tour event in the region, the Dubai Desert Classic, a year later.
He took up golf himself in 2006 at the Dubai Creek Golf Academy, reaching a single-figure handicap within 18 months of starting the sport. Since then, he has played a key role in grassroots golf in the Middle East, including as Vice Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation from 2008-2012 and Chairman of Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club, whilst his businesses have supported a number of players and junior golf projects.
Al Naboodah companies have also been tournament sponsors of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, while Phoenix Capital was the presenting partner of the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship in February 2022, which was won by rising star Nicolai Højgaard of Denmark at the Al Hamra Golf Club.
Abdullah Al Naboodah said: “I’m truly humbled with this appointment and it’s an absolute honour to be serving as a Board Member for the European Tour Group. A special thank you to my fellow Board members for placing their trust in me and the opportunity to work with them, for this outstanding organisation and this wonderful sport.”
Eric Nicoli CBE, Chairman of the European Tour Group, said: “I am delighted to welcome Abdullah to the European Tour Group’s Board of Directors.
“The Middle East is obviously a very important region for us. We have seven events in the UAE in 2023, including three Rolex Series events, and other events across the region, while DP World, the title partner of our main Tour, is headquartered in Dubai.
“We therefore felt it was important for us to have representation from the region on our Board of Directors. Abdullah combines impressive business experience with a considerable long-term commitment to golf at all levels, from his support of grassroots projects right through to his sponsorship of DP World Tour events, and is an excellent addition to our ambitious Board.”
