Dubai: The organising committee of the 37th edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic has announced that preparations for the event have been completed with the arrival of elite international golfers at the Emirates Golf Club ahead of the first Rolex Series championship of the 'Race to Dubai 2026' season.

The tournament will be held from Thursday to Sunday, January 22-25, with a total prize pool of $9 million.

The list of participants witnesses the presence of world star Rory McIlroy, who holds the record for the number of wins in the tournament 4 times, and who made his debut in the tournament in 2006 at the age of 16, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of his debut.

McIlroy, the current Masters champion and winner of five major tournaments in his career, is aiming to win the Dallah Cup for the fifth historic time.

McIlroy faces stiff competition from the game's elite stars, led by defending champion Terrell Hatton, former world number one Dustin Johnson, FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood, 2019 British Open champion Shane Lowry, 2022 Dubai champion Victor Hovland, Rolex Series champion Nikolai Hoggard, PGA Tour winner Ryan Fox and rising star Tom McKibben.

Luke Donald, a former world number one and European Ryder Cup team captain, returns to the tournament, while Emirati golfer Ahmed Skaik is making his professional debut, reflecting the tournament's ongoing commitment to supporting and developing local talent.

Simon Corkel, Executive Director of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, said that the synergy between the tournament operations team and the Dubai Agricultural Golf Team is a key element in delivering a world-class tournament, praising the efforts made in equipping the course to the highest standards adopted in international tournaments.