World No. 1 Rory McIlroy returns to Abu Dhabi tomorrow (SUN) again looking to win in the UAE capital for a first time in his career.

A week after recording a fourth second place finish in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, McIlroy will tee-up in the Abu Dhabi Invitational on the Kyle Phillips designed Yas Island Links course.

The course is located literally across the road for the Yas Island Marina Formula One circuit and with McIlroy joining victorious Gleneagles winning team mate Stephen Gallacher and 54 other professionals, including the European Ladies Tour duo of Carly Booth and Amy Boulden, in the one-day $500,000 Pro-Am European Tour sanctioned event.

Rory McIlroy returning on Sunday and hoping to finally make a victory splash in the UAE capital.

In fact, McIlroy will play alongside Gallacher and for a first time since the Scot beat him head-to-head over three days in last year’s Dubai Desert Classic.

The event was first staged in 2007 and has been staged periodically with Gallacher winning in 2009, Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke sharing first place in 2010 and Scotland’s Richie Ramsay winning on the last occasion in 2012.

McIlroy has been enticed to contest the event by UAE business and investment giants, Abdullah Al Naboodah and Mohammed Farooq.

“Mr. Al Naboodah and Mr. Farooq are both keen golfers and they have been trying for some time to get me to play so I’ve agreed to tee up this year,” said McIlroy.

“I played a social round on Yas Links last year before the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, and it’s an amazing links like golf course but laid out in the Middle East.

“Kyle Phillips also designed Kingsbarns and though they’re located in very different parts of the world, you can similarities of Kingsbarns in Yas Links.

“It’s a one day event but hopefully I can finally notch-up a win in Abu Dhabi as that would be nice to then take to next week’s Dubai Desert Classic.”

Joining McIlroy in Abu Dhabi will be Peter Lawrie, who was previously sponsored by the Al Naboodah Group.