Four-time Dubai Desert Classic champion Rory McIlroy has confirmed he will be returning to the Emirates Golf Club in 2027, aiming for a fifth win when play starts from Junuary 21, 2027.

A stalwart and hugely popular golfer in the region, McIlroy has been full of praise for the Majlis Course in the past and this is not just a familiar stop on the golfing calendar for the Northern Irishman.

Speaking exclusively to Golf Digest Middle East ahead of his return, McIlroy said: “The Majlis is where it all started for me as a professional, and I still get that feeling every time I come back to Emirates Golf Club. It’s a course that has always suited my eye.”

McIlroy first played the Desert Classic as a 16-year-old amateur in 2006. Three years later, on the same course, he won for the first time as a professional. Victories followed in 2015, 2023 and 2024, making him the most successful player in the tournament’s history.

His most recent Desert Classic victory, in 2024, came after he clawed back a 10-shot deficit, and it’s a performance McIlroy still looks back on fondly. A win in January would take his record at the event to five titles.

“A fifth Dallah Trophy would mean a huge amount, and I’ll be doing everything I can to give myself that chance in January,” he told Golf Digest Middle East.

The 2027 appearance will also come with McIlroy returning as a six-time Major champion following his successful Masters title defence at Augusta National in April. According to the tournament announcement, that made him only the fourth player after Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods to win successive Green Jackets.

“I love coming to Dubai and the UAE, and I’ve always considered Dubai a second home,” McIlroy said of the announcement of his participation. “It’s where my professional career really started, and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic will always mean a lot to me.”

The 38th Hero Dubai Desert Classic takes place at Emirates Golf Club from Thursday January 21 to Sunday January 24, 2027. General admission on Thursday and Friday is free with advance registration, while early-bird weekend tickets are Dhs85. Tickets rise to Dhs110 before the tournament and Dhs135 on the day. Under-17s, along with companions and carers, can attend free across all four days.

Tickets and registration are available through the Hero Dubai Desert Classic website.

Investors are set to get their first opportunity to subscribe to a UAE initial public offering (IPO) in 2026, after Dubai Investments announced plans on Monday to float a 20 per cent stake in its property subsidiary, DIP Holding.

The Dubai-listed conglomerate said it would offer approximately 1.74 billion existing shares in DIP Holding on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), with subscriptions opening on October 27 and trading expected to begin around November 11.

The proposed listing would mark the UAE’s first IPO of the year, bringing fresh activity to the country’s equity capital markets.

According to EY, just three companies went public in the UAE in 2025, compared with seven in 2024. Last year’s listings included Dubai Residential REIT and construction company ALEC Holdings on the DFM, alongside technology firm Alpha Data on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.

“The proposed IPO represents a natural next step in the Company’s evolution and reflects the maturity, scale and quality of the business,” said Khalid bin Kalban, vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Investments and chairman of DIP Holding.

DIP Holding owns the operator of Dubai Investments Park, a 23 million square metre mixed-use development located between Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum International Airport.

The development serves approximately 1,000 tenants across logistics, industrial, residential and commercial sectors, supports around 5,700 sub-leases and is home to more than 150,000 residents.

Ground lease occupancy stood at 99.9 per cent at the end of June 2026.

DIP Holding reported revenue of Dhs960m and adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of Dhs678m in 2025.

Revenue reached Dhs492m in the first half of 2026, with adjusted EBITDA of Dhs355m, representing a margin of 72 per cent.

“The proposed IPO comes at a time when Dubai’s capital markets continue to demonstrate depth and maturity, supported by strong economic fundamentals, a well-established regulatory framework and sustained investor confidence in the UAE,” bin Kalban said.

Dubai Investments will receive the proceeds from the share sale, which it intends to use largely for business expansion and general corporate purposes. The offer price has yet to be disclosed.

DIP Holding expects annualised dividends of Dhs700m for 2026, rising to Dhs725m in 2027 and Dhs750m in 2028, subject to approvals.

Its first post-IPO dividend payment of Dhs350m is expected in April 2027.

Etihad Airways has extended flight cancellations between Abu Dhabi and several Saudi Arabian destinations through October 24, as Emirates and Air Arabia also cancel services amid ongoing regional disruptions affecting travel between the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Flight-status information reviewed on Monday, October 19, showed cancellations across routes connecting Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah with Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. The disruptions affect multiple services scheduled for October 19 and 20, with further changes possible.

Etihad extends cancellations through October 24

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad has extended cancellations on services connecting the UAE capital with Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah through Saturday, October 24.

The airline confirmed that all flights between Abu Dhabi and Dammam, as well as all services between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, have been cancelled through that date.

Read more: Will your UAE flight be delayed? GCAA flags weather conditions that could disrupt operations

On the Jeddah route, the affected services are EY601 and EY603 from Abu Dhabi, alongside EY602 and EY604 operating in the opposite direction.

Etihad said the situation remained dynamic and further schedule changes were possible.

“We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this disruption, and our teams are doing their best to assist affected guests with their travel arrangements,” the airline said in its travel advisory.

The carrier said passenger and crew safety remained its priority and urged travellers to check their flight status before departure.

Emirates cancels Dubai–Jeddah and Riyadh flights

Emirates has cancelled three scheduled services from Dubai to Jeddah on October 19 and 20, according to flight-status information.

The affected flights are EK801, scheduled to depart at 12.10am; EK805, at 6.55am; and EK803, at 2.45pm. All three services were listed as cancelled on both dates.

The airline also listed three Dubai–Riyadh flights as cancelled on October 19: EK815, scheduled for 1.10am; EK819, for 6.50am; and EK817, for 4.45pm.

The affected Emirates services were scheduled to depart from Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport.

Air Arabia cancels Sharjah–Riyadh services

Sharjah-based Air Arabia has also reported cancellations on its Riyadh route.

Flight-status information dated October 19 listed G9151, scheduled to depart Sharjah International Airport at 7.30am, and G9154, scheduled for 3.10pm, as cancelled.

Both services were also listed as cancelled for Tuesday, October 20.

Regional disruption affects UAE–Saudi connectivity

The latest cancellations come amid wider disruption to Saudi Arabia’s aviation network following attacks affecting Riyadh’s main airport earlier this month.

Several international airlines have suspended or adjusted their Saudi operations as regional security concerns continue to affect flight schedules.

Passengers travelling between the UAE and Saudi Arabia should check directly with their airlines before heading to the airport, as schedules may change at short notice.

Etihad has directed affected passengers to its official website for flight-status updates and customer support. Emirates and Air Arabia passengers can consult their respective airline flight-status platforms for the latest information.

A bomb threat forced an Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv carrying 57 people to divert to the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, late on Sunday, though a search found no danger, the airline and Bulgaria’s BTA news agency said.

“We confirm that there was a threat against flight OS82 on October 18, 2026, from Tel Aviv to Vienna (TLV to VIE), which made it necessary for the flight to make an intermediate landing in Sofia (SOF),” the airline said in a statement on Monday.

“During the search of the affected aircraft, the passengers, and the crew, no danger was identified,” it said, adding that the flight continued from Sofia to Vienna with all passengers after reboarding.

Bulgaria’s BTA news agency said the Vienna-bound flight’s crew reported receiving a bomb threat when the aircraft was approaching the Romanian border, and the Bulgarian Air Force scrambled MiG-29 fighter jets.

The Lufthansa Group, which owns Austrian Airlines, Vienna Airport and the Austrian interior ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

The incident came less than three weeks after a co-pilot on an Israel-bound flydubai jet allegedly attacked the captain with an axe in an attempt to crash the plane.

The UAE attorney general said last week that an Omani flydubai co-pilot had intended to seize the September 30 Dubai-Tel Aviv flight and crash it into a terminal at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in a suicide attack, before he was thwarted by the captain.

Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff escaped a shooting incident in Mumbai on Sunday evening (October 18), after unidentified gunmen opened fire on his vehicle in the city’s Juhu neighbourhood.

The 36-year-old actor did not sustain any gunshot injuries, Mumbai Police confirmed. However, two people, including his driver, were injured in the attack, which has triggered a major police investigation.

What happened to Tiger Shroff?

The incident occurred at around 7pm near Pushpa Park in Juhu, where Shroff had been playing football with other members of the film and television industry.

According to local media reports, three assailants arrived on a motorcycle, with two of them allegedly opening fire at the actor’s BMW before fleeing the scene.

Several shots were fired at the vehicle as Shroff was preparing to leave the location. His driver sustained a gunshot injury to his hand, while another individual, identified in reports as an autorickshaw driver, was also injured.

Both injured individuals were taken to hospital for treatment. Shroff was subsequently escorted home under police protection.

Mumbai Police confirmed the incident and said an investigation was underway.

“A firing incident has been reported under Juhu Police Station. Actor Tiger Shroff is safe and has not sustained any gunshot injuries. Further investigation is underway,” police said in a statement carried by The Economic Times.

Police investigate possible gang involvement

The shooting has raised fresh concerns about the safety of high-profile personalities in India’s entertainment industry.

Police are investigating claims linking the attack to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which has previously been associated with threats and violence targeting Bollywood personalities.

According to India Today, a social media post attributed to overseas-based gangsters Anil Pandit and Harman Sandhu claimed responsibility for the attack in the name of the Bishnoi group. However, authorities have not independently verified the claim.

Mumbai Police have reportedly formed 15 teams to track down those responsible, while one individual has been detained for questioning.