Golf War on the Arabian Peninsula

The so-called Gulf Rift between Qatar and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council ended earlier this year. But council monarchies compete as often as they collaborate. For the two most populous members, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the competition takes place in golf.

The UAE has long been the Middle East’s premier golf destination, but Saudi Arabia is going strong. Although very few Arabs play, Emirates has 21 courses, including eight of the region’s top 10, according to Golf Digest. This year’s Europe tour – renamed “DP World Tour” and sponsored by Dubai Ports World – will host four men’s professional events in the UAE