Golf In The UAE Takes Another Leap Forward With First-Of-Its-Kind Tourism App

As most familiar with the game at all levels know by now, golf across the United Arab Emirates has grown at an alarming rate. In Dubai in particular, the scale of the expansion in the space of three decades is tough to overstate and makes for a spectacular before and after shot. 

From one course surrounded by desert and cast adrift from civilisation to a litany of elite venues that have become the focal point of a sport booming in this part of the world. It really is little wonder the DP World Tour visits so frequently.

One person who has been there almost through it all is Chris May, the CEO of Dubai Golf who moved to the region in 1999 to become the assistant manager at Dubai Creek. Despite plans to stay for five years and return to the UK, Chris liked it so much he never left, so who better to speak to about the ever-changing landscape and the latest innovation aimed at making life easier for tourists.

“When I first came, Dubai wasn’t really even a tourist destination, let alone a golf destination - it was very different. The Emirates Golf Club was stuck out on its own and it was a real trek out of town, and the Creek was in the middle of the city,” Chris tells me.

“It was really at the start of the tourism boom and to see what the city has evolved into now, and really grown and developed up towards Emirates Golf Club, which is the main part of the city now, is almost unbelievable. The amount of buildings and development that’s happened, the road infrastructure, the hotels, the restaurants, the malls, the number of additional golf courses that have been built in that time period is quite incredible. 

“In ‘99, there were just three golf courses and now there are 22 in the UAE. The population was around 800,000 when I moved to Dubai and I think it's 4.2 million now. So it has grown quite a lot. You've now got over 100,000 bedrooms in the city and many of those bedrooms get filled by golfers every year. 

“There are 11 golf courses in Dubai. Those numbers have just grown organically and when new golf courses come along, the golf rounds have been filled. Dubai has done really well in terms of matching that growth from a supply and demand perspective and having the right number of courses there at the right time. 

“The numbers when I first came were probably less than 5,000. When I first became CEO in 2014, we were probably around 25,000 overseas tourists, and now we’re up to 60,000.”

Dubai Golf took over the operation in Abu Dhabi about a year ago, adding Yas Links, Yas Acres and Sadiyaat to its already impressive roster of courses. And in order to accommodate the growing numbers and enhance the tourism experience, it has now rolled out VIYA to international audiences. 

This one-stop app first launched five-and-a-half years ago and now provides users with a host of benefits that places it out on its own as the benchmark for golf tourism.

“It started really from an initiative to provide our membership with a more effective way of booking tee times, tracking spend enabling them not to use cash,” Chris adds. “But we very quickly realised that it was quite a powerful tool for booking golf for members, non-members and overseas guests as well. And it's proven.

“We've got 120,000 active users primarily in this part of the world, but many overseas tourists are using it to get the rewards on spend when they come.

“It’s something members could not do without now. I don't think they can remember the times when they used to have to come into the club at 6.30am to book a tee time. Which is crazy and that's not that long ago.

“And I speak to lots of non-members who use it and they see it as one of their most used apps. We all use different apps but how often you really continuously use an app is, I think, a testament to its success, and for many people, it's one of the most used apps on their phone.”

Something which Chris describes as “critical” to the app’s success is the loyalty scheme. Specifically, for every 10 UAE Dirhams spent, users get 1 UAE Dirham back which can be redeemed immediately at any VIYA location.

“Whether you’re in the UK or Dubai, It's really important to feel very much part of the club and to be rewarded for any spend you make. So the app makes that really easy. It's also really easy to spend those reward points in our point of sale, whether you're in a restaurant or in the pro shop and want to pay for golf lessons. I don't think our members could operate without it, I think we'd have uproar if we did away with it.

“From an international perspective, if you're coming on holiday to this part of the world, and you're going out playing golf and using restaurants, very quickly you can end up spending a good amount of money, so it’s great that they can be rewarded for that spend. So a lot of international guests are using it and are really seeing the benefit of those points that they get from every spend.

“I've never really seen another app that is that targeted at golfers that is at this scale.” 

As for what the future holds, like everything in this part of the world, standing still is not an option. 

“There’s always going to be change and development. So there will be new golf courses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, there'll be many new golf courses are in the region, which will make the region even more attractive, because I think one of the really exciting things as a golf tourist here is there's always something new to do.

“Whether it's a new golf course, a new clubhouse, or whatever it might be, there's always something new. There's a continued focus and push on growing tourism. So there'll be new hotels, there'll be new attractions, new things to do just to make the region even more attractive than it already is. So I think it will continue to be somewhere that attracts people from all over the world to come.

“I think the tournaments will continue to help us and the app will continue to grow and develop to make it easier and easier to book. And just make it a one-stop shop for your Dubai trip. You'll be able to book hotels, flights and golf all on one app, which will make it easier for people to get here. 

“I'm sure other big events will come in the not too distant future and bring more sports tourists to the region. I see it continuing to be very much part of the world's sporting events calendar, which it already is in golf and is fast becoming in other sports as well. So I think if you're a sports fan in particular, it's a great place to be.”