The Egyptian Open, the oldest professional golf championship in the Middle East, is returning after a 15-year hiatus, the Egyptian Golf Federation has announced, with the 2025 edition set to be held in partnership with the Asian Tour. The announcement was made at an opening ceremony at the Madinaty Golf Club, attended by Minister of Youth and Sports Ashraf Sobhy and other dignitaries. "The tournament returns this year in a new form, in collaboration with the Asian Tour series," said Omar Hisham Talaat, President of the Egyptian Golf Federation. "Through it, we seek to establish Egypt's position as a leading global golf destination, in line with the vision of the Egyptian Golf Federation." The Egyptian Open championship boasts a rich history dating back to 1921 and has featured some of the world's top golf stars over the decades. This year's edition will host more than 130 players from 35 countries, including the United States, England, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and South Korea. Hisham praised the host venue, Madinaty Golf Club, which has been named the best golf course in Egypt for five consecutive years and the best in Africa for the past three. It was also voted by Asian Tour players as their preferred destination in 2022. The revived Egyptian Open is the third of four international tournaments the federation has committed to organising since Hisham took office. The fourth event is scheduled to take place on the Red Sea coast next week. Hisham said the federation has succeeded in increasing the number of golfers in Egypt by 25-30% over the past year, alongside efforts to attract thousands of amateurs to the sport. He emphasised the goal of providing Egyptian players with opportunities to compete against top international professionals and developing local and Arab talent. "The ultimate goal is to see Egyptian golfers represent their country in the Olympics and to make Egypt a regional hub for golf," he said. Ken Kudo, General Manager of the Asian Development Tour, expressed his delight at the return of the historic tournament. "The commitment of the Egyptian Golf Federation and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to a four-year partnership with the Asian Development Tour reflects their ambition to restore Egypt to its place on the global golf map and to drive international tourism to this rich and wonderful country," he said. Ibrahim Saber, the Governor of Cairo, affirmed the governorate's strong support for the sport and praised the efforts of the Egyptian Golf Federation. "The Egyptian Open has become a prominent sporting event on the international agenda," he said.
