RIYADH — Ahead of the third edition of the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, Golf Saudi CEO Majed Al Sorour has hailed the revolutionary launch of The Line — a 170-kilometer, zero-carbon, urban-development project, which will see several hyper-connected communities incorporated into one city, becoming the Kingdom’s most ambitious project to date.

Commenting on the project Al Sorour said: “Crown Prince, Muhammad Bin Salman’s announcement of The Line, as well as other great projects that have preceded it, including NEOM, will be a blessing for world tourism and investment and is also good news for golf's bright future, especially as the sport is directly associated with beautiful beaches, smart cities, and high-end tourism.”

He added: “The clean, high-tech environment that The Line will create will no doubt allow golf courses to flourish due to their aesthetics, environmental development and consideration for health and nature in conjunction with Saudi Vision 2030. Turning the Red Sea Coastline into a hub for golf.”

Al Sorour who was formerly a professional footballer in the Saudi Premier League, enjoyed a stellar career with Al Nasr before moving to the US in 1990 to pursue a business career. This career change brought him into close contact with the game of golf and his passion for the sport has remained undimmed ever since.

Returning to Saudi Arabia to pursue business interests, Al Sorour continued to compete in domestic golf tournaments as an amateur going on to qualify for the Golf World Cup in 2012 in South Africa and winning the Saudi Canadian Golf Championship in 2015, beating European, Asian, and Arab participants.

His move into the management side of the game was cemented further, when on special request in 2018, Al-Sorour was appointed as CEO of Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation; to oversee the development of a multi-billion-dollar investment in the development of the sport and its correlating commercial opportunities, in order to meet the requirements of Vision 2030.

The next stage of the journey is the third edition of the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers just over two weeks away. Preparations are on track for what will be a major event on the Saudi sporting calendar that captures the world's attention, with some of the European Tour’s best golfers being broadcast globally to millions.

Looking ahead to the tournament, Al Sorour said: “We are now just a fortnight away from hosting one of the largest golf tournaments in the world for the third time in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).

“Looking back on my earlier career, who would have imagined that this high-value sport would find itself in such a distinguished place in Saudi Arabia. Add to that who would have expected that the best top ranked golf players in the world would compete to take part in it.

“I therefore say with great pride that this would not have come about without the vision that the Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman has spearheaded.”

The Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers is now a permanent fixture on the Desert Swing, with Golf Saudi working in close cooperation with the European Tour to implement mass participation programmes.

These initiatives can inspire the next generation of Saudis to take up the game and develop future home-grown champions, as well as allowing the current crop of National Team players who are set to compete in this year’s tournament the chance to play alongside current world champions and learn directly from them. — SG