In the three years since the MENA (Middle East Northern Africa) Tour has been in operation it’s gone from inititially four events in 2011 to six last year and now a 2013 schedule boasting 13 tournaments.

The 2013 MENA Golf Tour schedule which also expand to new events in Morocco and the Gulf states, providing even greater opportunities for players to enhance their careers.

The first-half of the season starting in March will see the tour schedule travel to Morocco for two events – one each at Royal Dar Es Salam Golf Club, Rabat, and Royal Mohammedia Golf in Casablanca — while nine events, spread over UAE and neighbouring Gulf states between September and November, will complete a lucrative road trip when a total of $ 575,000 will be up for grabs for the tour members

Chairman of MENA Tour, Mohamed Juma Buamaim announcing an 11-tournament schedule for the 2013 season.

“With 10 tournaments already confirmed, including one in Oman and two in Saudi Arabia, we are hopeful of making additional tournament announcements in the near future which will further strengthen the playing schedule for the broad spectrum of our membership,” said Mohamed Juma Buamaim, chairman of the MENA Golf Tour, told newsmen on the sidelines of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club.

“The expansion of the tour to North Africa will continue to serve as a platform in developing top talent by providing top-class playing opportunities with reasonable entry fees for its members,” he said

It is, indeed, a matter of pride that a large contingent from Morocco has competed in the MENA Golf Tour events, showcasing the rising standards of the game in the Arab world. We value their overwhelming support of the Tour,” said Mr Buamaim.

The Tour, he said, continues to attract global attention with top players on the Orders of Merit for professionals and amateurs winning invitations to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and getting exemptions to the final stage of the Asian Tour. Last month, Muhammad Munir of Pakistan used the experience gained on the MENA Golf Tour to earn the Asian Tour card for 2013.

“We would like to thank our sponsors Omega and Mercedes-Benz and colleagues in golf’s governing bodies around the world — the R&A and the Arab Golf Federation — for their support of the MENA Golf Tour, and we look forward to welcoming them all to the 2013 season.

Launched by the Sheikh Maktoum Golf Foundation in 2011, the MENA Golf Tour is affiliated to the R&A and the Arab Golf Federation. Each tournament — a minimum 54-hole stroke-play event — carries World Ranking points and $50,000 in prize money while the season-ending MENA Tour Championship has a prize fund of $75,000

The top three professionals and the leading amateur from their respective orders of merit get invites to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, the longest-running European Tour event in the region