Yas Links Golf Hosts Multi Year Training Program

Aldar to continue its ongoing support for Special Olympics UAE athletes
Yas Links to host dedicated training and development programme for Special Olympics UAE golfers ahead of Berlin 2023

Abu Dhabi, UAE – 24 January 2022: Aldar Properties (‘Aldar’) has announced that Yas Links Abu Dhabi, a world top 50 golf course and host of the 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship will become home to the training and development of Special Olympics UAE (SO UAE) golf team members ahead of the Berlin 2023 Summer Games.

The partnership was celebrated on the Yas Links Abu Dhabi Golf Course, with an event attended by the 2021 Ryder Cup Captain and Special Olympics Ireland team ambassador Padraig Harrington, who provided some expert tips and advice to the SO UAE athletes. Earlier in the day, Jonathan Emery, Chief Executive Officer at Aldar Development was joined by Ali Saif bin Summaidaa, Special Olympic UAE golfer and Thomas Nesbitt, Cranleigh Abu Dhabi Golf Scholar in the annual Pro-Am event that takes place in the lead up to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Aldar has been a partner of the Special Olympics since 2019 and its premium golf course Yas Links Abu Dhabi will work with the SO UAE golf team to deliver a comprehensive training programme. The support centres around recruitment into the programme, engaging members of the community, hosting development and training sessions for athletes, and supporting their preparations for the competitions. Additionally, all SO UAE athletes that have or will compete in the games will receive free membership to the Yas Links Academy, which offers access to the driving range, practice facilities, par 3 course, gym, and pools.

Commenting on the partnership, Salwa Al Maflahi, Director of Sustainability and CSR at Aldar said: “Special Olympics represents everything that is good about sport and community, and we are proud to support the athletes in their preparation for the Berlin 2023 Summer Games. Diversity, equality, and inclusion are key pillars of our social responsibility strategy, while golf is close to our hearts due to the range of world-class courses we have developed in Abu Dhabi. With this in mind, support of the Special Olympics UAE golfers is a natural fit for Aldar and we look forward to a long and wholesome partnership.”

Talal Al Hashemi, National Director of Special Olympics UAE said: "We are proud of Special Olympics UAE’s multi-year collaboration with Yas Links Abu Dhabi, an Aldar property located on Yas Island. Today, Aldar has taken new steps to empower Special Olympics athletes in sport, through its commitment to support a golf development program ahead of the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin. This new Special Olympics UAE program will enable more athletes to acquire new skills in golf, and participate in world-class golf tournaments, such as the HSBC Abu Dhabi Golf Tournament which has welcomed Special Olympics golf athletes in recent years. Such unique and inclusive experiences make a world of difference to people of determination, and we thank Aldar and Yas Links Abu Dhabi for playing an important role in making them possible."

Through this partnership, Aldar reinforces the UAE’s competitive position on the global sports stage. It also contributes to the company’s ongoing efforts to promote an active lifestyle across its portfolio of retail spaces, residential communities, and schools.

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