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Middle Eastern golfers are ready to make their mark in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Emirates Golf Club
The 2025 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) returns to the United Arab Emirates this month, but this time on the iconic Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club, bringing together top amateur golfers from across the Asia-Pacific region.
With the UAE hosting the event for only the second time—four years after the championship was staged at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club—the spotlight will also be shining on the growing roster of Middle Eastern talent competing in the event.
Since its creation in 2009, the AAC has become a vital stepping stone for aspiring golfers across the region. Past champions and competitors have gone on to succeed on the world’s biggest stages, including Hideki Matsuyama, Cameron Smith, Si Woo Kim, and Min Woo Lee. The alumni of the tournament have amassed over 150 wins across the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Japan Golf Tour.
Emirates Golf Club. Image supplied
This year’s championship will unfold on one of the most recognisable layouts in the Middle East. The Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club was the first grass course in the region when it opened in 1988, designed by Karl Litten at a time when the idea of desert golf seemed far-fetched. Today, framed by Dubai’s glittering skyline, it stands as a symbol of the city’s place in global golf.
The Majlis is best known as host of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour, where the roll of champions includes Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Seve Ballesteros, and Ernie Els, who famously holds the course record of 61.
“Bringing the collection of talent from across the Asia-Pacific region to Emirates Golf Club will be an honour,” said General Abdullah Al Hashmi, President of the Emirates Golf Federation and Vice President of the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation.
General Abdullah Al Hashmi, President of the Emirates Golf Federation and Vice President of the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation. Image supplied
“We have seen firsthand the growth of golf and a number of prestigious tournaments in the United Arab Emirates over the years and we are excited for the 2025 Asia-Pacific Amateur to continue that legacy.”
Twenty-two Arab golfers from ten Middle Eastern countries are confirmed for the 16th edition of the AAC, where the winner will earn an exemption into the 2026 Masters and The Open, while the runner-up secures their place in Open Final Qualifying. Afghanistan will be represented by Iqbal Wali, Iran has Ebrahim Nouri, while Zaidoon Zakaria will fly the flag for Iraq. Bahrain has Khalifa
Almaraisi and Mohamed Alnoaimi, Jordan fields four competitors—Mousa Shana’ah, Salem Alabdallat, and Mousa’s brother, Hashem — while Lebanon’s team includes Rachid Akl and Geoffrey Laklak.
Mousa Shana’ah from Jordan won 14 WAGR titles in 2024 alone. Image supplied
Oman’s contingent features Azaan Al Rumhy and Ahmed Al Wahaibi, Qatar’s squad includes Salem Alkaabi and Ali Abdulla Al Shahrani, and Saudi Arabia is represented by Ali Alsakha and Khalid Saud Al Faisal. The host country will have six homegrown players—Ahmad Skaik, Mohammad Skaik, Sam Mullane, Jonathan Selvaraj, Rahsed Al Emadi and Rayan Ahmed—bringing local support to the championship.
Among them, Skaik remains the standout figure. At 28, he has been the face of Emirati golf for nearly a decade, carrying the experience of representing his country at the Eisenhower Trophy and Asian Games. This will be his sixth start in the AAC, as he enters it on the back of a string of impressive results.
Ahmad Skaik of the UAE is making his sixth start in the AAC. Image supplied
His year began with a dominant 15-stroke victory at the GCC Championship in Saudi Arabia. He then became the first UAE national to make the cut at a HotelPlanner Tour event, the UAE Challenge. Skaik has also performed strongly in regional amateur events, with top-five finishes in the Montgomerie Golf Club Dubai Amateur Open and the Arab Golf Federation’s Cedars Golf Championship.
“It’s amazing to have this event again at home,” Skaik said. “I didn’t expect it to be so soon hosting again because we had it in 2021 at Dubai Creek. It’s incredible!”
Back in 2021, Skaik had the honour of hitting the opening tee shot of the championship and went on to make the cut for the first time. That memory, he says, still fuels him today. “When I hit the opening tee shot in 2021, I was very nervous but excited at the same time.
“It gave me confidence because it was my best performance in the AAC and I had missed the cuts in previous editions. To do it at home in Dubai was like a dream, so hopefully this time we will go for even better things.”
The reward of a place in The Masters and The Open hangs over the field, but Skaik insists focus is key. “To have the opportunity to compete in The Masters or The Open is a dream. But I have to control my emotions and just focus on the tournament and think of it as just a normal tournament. Everything that comes from that is just a bonus.”
Lebanon’s Geoffrey Laklak, aged 17, won his home open earlier this year. Image supplied
For Lebanon, Geoffrey Laklak represents the next generation. Making his second AAC start, the 17-year-old has already gained valuable experience since his debut. “From my first start at the AAC I’m happy and comfortable coming into my second,” he said.
“I put more pressure on myself than I needed the first time, but now that I’ve been there and played against some of the best, I know I can compete amongst them.”
Laklak has made international waves over the past year, with appearances in the Junior World Championships in San Diego, the Royal Junior in Japan, and the Florida Junior Match Play, where he advanced to the round of 32. In November 2024, he also represented Lebanon in the Pan Arab Championship in the UAE.
The winner will earn an exemption into the 2026 Masters and The Open. Image supplied
A win at a World Amateur Golf Ranking event in Lebanon earlier this year has given him a timely boost. “I’m super happy to have won the Lebanese Open and I’m very confident in my abilities to compete against the best in the world in the AAC,” he said.
“All I want to do is represent Lebanon to the fullest extent that I can. I want to show Lebanon’s determination on the course as well now.”
Few players in the field have shown more rapid growth than Jordan’s Mousa Shana’ah. The 18-year-old is making his fourth AAC appearance, building on the progress he displayed in Japan last year. After struggling in 2023 in Australia, where he missed the cut, Shana’ah rebounded with rounds of 76 and 71 to advance into the weekend at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba.
“It showed me that preparation and focus really does pay off,” he said. “I didn’t change my game, I just executed better and stayed patient. That experience gave me confidence that I can compete anywhere.”
Shana’ah has been a dominant figure in regional amateur golf, collecting 14 World Amateur Golf Ranking titles across the UAE and Oman in 2024 alone. Earlier this year, he added another win in Oman and tested himself internationally at the U.S. Junior Amateur for the second time.
“My game has evolved a lot since my debut,” he said. “I’ve learned how to stay calm under pressure and trust my swing no matter the situation. I’m more consistent, and mentally I don’t overthink—I just go play.”
Keita Nakajima on his way to winning the 2021 AAC at Dubai Creek. Image supplied
Though he grew up in Dubai, Shana’ah says he takes pride in playing under Jordan’s flag. “Despite being brought up in Dubai, it’s always great to perform for Jordan and the Arab region. It adds extra energy. But at the end of the day, I’m trying to focus on executing my game.”
For the Middle Eastern players, the 2025 AAC offers a platform to test their skills against the best amateurs from the Asia-Pacific region while inspiring the next generation of golfers in their home countries. For the UAE, hosting the event on the Majlis Course reinforces its status as a hub for golf in the Middle East.
With the opening tee shot set for October 23 and four days of competitive golf ahead, all eyes will be on Emirates Golf Club.
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Main image: Emirates Golf Club
This article was featured in the October 2025 issue of Golf Digest Middle East. Click here for a digital issue of the full magazine
