AR
Saleh Al Kaabi’s golf story began far from the lush greens of Al Zorah Golf and Yacht Club, where he tee’s it up this week on the HotelPlanner Tour’s UAE Challenge.
It started on a sand course in Bahrain, guided by the hand of his father.
Awali Golf Club, Bahrain
“My dad teaches golf — he’s a single handicapper — and he was the one who taught me,” Saleh said. “I learned golf on a sand golf course, Awali Golf Club, it’s one of the oldest golf courses in the Middle East, just next to where the Royal Golf Club is now.”
Growing up in Bahrain until the age of seven, Saleh’s family then moved to Qatar. For a few years, golf faded into the background. But the game wasn’t gone for good.
“I didn’t continue golf immediately,” he says. “I got back into it around the age of 12, playing small events on another sand course — Mesaieed Golf Club. Then I eventually joined the Qatar National Team at Doha Golf Club and started playing more regularly.”
Saleh’s talent eventually led him to the Aspire Academy, Qatar’s elite sports development programme, where he specialised in golf and graduated as one of the country’s top young athletes. Now a regular on the amateur circuit in the region, Saleh is fully supported by the Qatar Golf Association — a relationship that’s played a vital role in his progress.
“It’s really nice when you get support from your country,” he says. “It’s like being sponsored — they pay for your travel, your hotel, and your expenses. In golf, having that kind of support is massive. You always need backing to get into big events, like this week’s HotelPlanner Tour event.”
Saleh knows how rare that kind of support can be in golf, and he’s determined to make the most of it — both to perform, and to represent Doha Golf Club and Qatari golf on a broader stage.
Over the past few years, the golfing landscape in the Arab world has shifted significantly — and Saleh has been right in the mix of it.
“Arab golf has grown big time over the last three years — not just in Qatar, but across the GCC. Before that, it was mostly Morocco and Tunisia getting noticed,” he explains. “Now we have Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia all producing great players.”
This week, some of Saleh’s closest friends and fellow competitors — like Ahmad Skaik and Sam Mullane from the UAE, and Khaled Attieh from Saudi Arabia — are also competing.
Arab Golf Series – Qatar Open 2025
The launch of the Arab Golf Federation’s Arab Golf Series has given Arab players a new platform — and Saleh has wasted no time making an impact.
“This is the first year they’ve done the Arab Golf Series, and it’s been great. I won the first event — the Qatar Open — and came fifth in the second one, the Cedars Golf Championship. I think I’m currently the top-ranked player in the Series.
“You see guys fighting to get a spot here. So as amateurs, we’re lucky to have this. I’m really proud to be part of it and of the Arab Golf Federation.”
This week’s venue — Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club — will be a challenging test for the international field, and Saleh is enjoying every minute of it.
“The course is nice, but you’ve got to be smart. You have to know where to land the ball and keep it in the right spots.
“Even if you hit the green, it doesn’t guarantee anything. If you’re in the wrong place, a two-putt can be tough. But if you’re on the right spots, you can make birdies.”
Main Image: Octavio Passos
