Ahmad Skaik is hoping to follow up his success last year in the United Arab Emirates when he makes his first professional start on the Road to Mallorca this week at the Abu Dhabi Challenge.
The 29-year-old made history on home soil during the HotelPlanner Tour’s two-week stint in the Middle East, becoming the first Emirati amateur to make the cut at the European Tour Group event, finishing in 69th place at the 2025 UAE Challenge.
Ahead of teeing it up on home soil again on the HotelPlanner Tour, Skaik is feeling relaxed with the weight of making a cut at the level now off his shoulders.
“It was amazing to make the cut at the UAE Challenge last year,” he said. “I had played so many events and not made a cut so I started thinking it might not happen.
“It was always on my mind so to get that out of the way and then go and make cuts on the Asian Tour was big. I know I can play and I hope I can show that this week.
“I feel like a mountain has been lifted off my shoulders. I can just go and play now and not have to worry about whether I make the cut.”
Skaik turned professional at the start of 2026 and was in the field for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour. Since then, the Emirati has made cuts on the Asian Development Tour and MENA Tour.
Having enjoyed a strong start to life as a professional, the 29-year-old is now aiming to impress at HotelPlanner Tour level, starting this week at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I missed the cut by a couple of shots last year but I’m aiming to be much higher this time around.
“I’ve played a couple of events on the MENA Tour. Obviously with what’s been going on around the world I’ve had a bit of time away from the game and haven’t played as much as I would have wanted but hopefully I can play more this season.
“It’s a pretty tight course. You need to hit it straight off the tee. Although the greens aren’t as firm as last year, the rough is still pretty thick which will be challenging.”
Skaik is a beneficiary of the HotelPlanner Tour’s long-standing partnership with the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF), with 30 places in the field allocated to the EGF, giving UAE-based players the opportunity to test themselves against an elite international line-up.
“The EGF has always been so supportive on and off the course and take us to camps to prepare for tournaments, so they’ve been so helpful and I’ve been very grateful,” he added.
“It’s been a hard transition turning professional, but I’ve learnt a lot and hopefully I will be able to improve over the coming years.”
Skaik is part of a strong field at this week’s Abu Dhabi Challenge including four-time DP World Tour winner David Horsey and former European Ryder Cup star Chris Wood.
