Record prize-money for 2006 Dubai Desert Classic

With a total prize-fund of $2.4 million, the 2006 event - again sponsored by Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL) - will also provide the 120 competing players with the chance to pick up the biggest winner's cheque ever offered for a golf event in the region. The 2006 champion will walk away with a cheque for $400,000.

"Golf in the Middle East has moved on in leaps and bounds since the PGA European Tour first came here back in 1989," said Mohammed Alabbar, Chairman of the Dubai Desert Classic, organisers and promoters of the tournament.

"The Dubai Desert Classic is often referred to as the jewel in the crown of the Tour's overseas calendar and I think the consistently high quality of our field as well as the size of the prize-money reflects that.

"We have already approved the new dates of February 2-5 as opposed to our normal dates in March in order to attract the best quality of field to the Majlis Course. By increasing the prize-money, we are also underlining our commitment to attract the best golfers in the world to the Desert Classic."

Although the Dubai Desert Classic gets underway in February, the 2006 European Tour calendar actually begins in November 2005 with the staging in Shanghai of the HSBC Champions Tournament then heads off to Shenzhen for the China Open, Hong Kong and South Africa before the turn of the year.

"The PGA European Tour is a massive international business and we are always delighted to welcome the players and officials to the UAE for the Dubai Desert Classic," added Alabbar.

In the 16 times the Dubai Desert Classic has been staged since Mark James won over the Majlis Course in 1989, no fewer than 14 different players have lifted the trophy. Defending champion and three-time winner Ernie Els is the only man to have won it more then once (1994, 2002 and 2005) and golf fans in the region will be hoping to see him go for title number four in February.

"I'm confident we will have one of the strongest fields of the year," said Alabbar. "We are currently in negotiations with several big names and expect to reveal the names of many of the players in the coming weeks."

Besides DUBAL as the main sponsor of the Desert Classic, CNN International, Arabian Ranches by Emaar, Nakheel, and Samsung as co-sponsors, other sponsors include: Emirates as official airline and Hole In One Sponsor; official caterer, hotel and challenge match sponsor Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa; Official Bank National Bank of Dubai; official courtesy car BMW; and event newspaper Gulf News.