There might not be anything new under the sun. But under floodlights? LIV Golf will continue its mission of “doing things differently to grow the game” when it starts its 2025 season in Riyadh this week. For the first time, a men’s professional tournament will be played at night.
Thursday’s opening round at Riyadh Golf Club will begin at 6.15pm, which is around 30 minutes after sunset. The two following rounds will start 10 minutes earlier, so they can be finished in time for late night concerts.
That means on Friday, for instance, some of the world’s leading golfers are essentially the warm-up act for the Backstreet Boys, who will be playing the main stage on the 19th. This is the fourth season of the breakaway tour and it continues to be golf, but not as we used to know it.
“From the moment we found out we would be playing under the lights I have been really excited,” said Jon Rahm, who won last season’s individual competition in his maiden campaign on the series. “It is what LIV Golf is all about: it is innovative, and creating new products for the consumer. It reminds me, on a different scale, to the first time Formula One staged races at night. It is a different feel and on TV it looks very, very cool. I hope golf comes out that way as well.
“My personal experience is it is really fun to be a part of. It is so different and unique. I think we could be having a very special week. Obviously, we are going to have our shortcomings because we are not used to it.”
Floodlit pro golf is not unique. In fact, it is something of a Gulf speciality. The Ladies European Tour got there first when the Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic was played under the lights of the Faldo Course at Emirates Golf Club.
Men’s pro golf under lights is unquestionably innovative, but it also plays to an existing audience. A third of the field in Riyadh are from America, including world stars like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.
Tournaments in the Middle East traditionally take place when golf’s vast TV audience in the United States are asleep. It is the reason the biggest stars at tournaments like the Dubai Desert Classic and Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship are often drawn at anti-social tee times in their early rounds, to get at least a little airtime stateside.
The first round of LIV Golf Riyadh will start at 10.15am on the US east coast, and 7.15am on the other side of the country. Because of the shotgun start, all the players will be on course at the same time, so viewers won’t have to wait around to see the stars. For the players, it will require some adaptation.
“My biggest thing is the 6pm tee time,” Rahm said. “We are so used to being home and thinking about going to bed by that time.
“We have played every practice round at night because we are playing at night, so we might as well get used to it. It is a shift. When we finish the tournament rounds, it will be 10.30-11pm. By the time you get back, it’s late, and then there is physio.
“Usually, I am in bed asleep by 9.30pm when I am at home. I have been trying to stay up and go to bed closer to 1am, just so there is not so much day ahead of me, and to get used to trying to perform at that time.
“It has definitely been interesting, especially when you travel far away, to have to stay up that late. But it is part of the appeal to a special week like this one.”
It is the first time a LIV event has been played in Riyadh. Jeddah has been a regular feature of the schedule since it started in 2022, and the difference between the two cities is significant.
While conditions in Jeddah have always been hot, the weather in the capital is cool. Temperatures at night will likely hover around the mid-teens. Fans at the AFC Champions League matches on Monday and Tuesday night were wrapped up variously in gilets, puffa jackets, scarfs and hats.
“The golf course in Jeddah I really liked but I never really had a good finish there,” Cam Smith, the Australian former Open champion, said.
“It was a struggle for me, really windy, really hot, then you come here, and it is actually quite still and quite cold. They are two completely different scales.”
At least the players on show will not face the problems of many amateurs who have played night golf. They are unlikely to err so far beyond the beam of the lights that they struggle to find their ball.
“It is a challenge,” said Joaquin Neimann. "[If you miss the] fairway, there are not many lights. [But] it is going to be great. There is a whole challenge waking up and starting your day later, and go to sleep 2am or 3am. Then you play later, and it is cold. The depth perception is not the same as during the day, and you have to adjust to that.
“Everything about playing at night is different. It is not normal to look up and see the moon rather than the sun.”
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Company%20profile
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
PFA Premier League team of 2018-19
Allison (Liverpool)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City)
Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Torbal Rayeh Wa Jayeh
Starring: Ali El Ghoureir, Khalil El Roumeithy, Mostafa Abo Seria
Stars: 3
Racecard
6pm: The Pointe - Conditions (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
6.35pm: Palm West Beach - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (T) 1,800m
7.10pm: The View at the Palm - Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.45pm: Nakeel Graduate Stakes - Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
8.20pm: Club Vista Mare - Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,900m
8.55pm: The Palm Fountain - Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m
9.30pm: The Palm Tower - Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier
Results
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by 12 runs
Kuwait beat Iran by eight wickets
Oman beat Maldives by 10 wickets
Bahrain beat Qatar by six wickets
Semi-finals
UAE v Qatar
Bahrain v Kuwait
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RESULT
Bayer Leverkusen 2 Bayern Munich 4
Leverkusen: Alario (9'), Wirtz (89')
Bayern: Coman (27'), Goretzka (42'), Gnabry (45'), Lewandowski (66')
