Guillermo Cuitino: The Al Habtoor Polo Club Icon

Dubai: A standout figure in Dubai’s polo scene, Guillermo Cuitino shares his inspiring journey whilst lifting the lid on Al Habtoor’s heritage and the sport’s growing community in the city.

Labelled the “sport of kings” polo is one of the oldest team sports in history, with roots tracing back over 2,500 years.

Although polo only began gaining traction in the UAE towards the early 1980s, Cuitino, now 53, was already laying the foundations for his future on the Al Habtoor greens, starting his journey in Argentina at just nine-years-old.

“I started playing polo at the age of nine, my father used to play in Argentina, so it was inevitable for me,” explained Cuitino, who spoke at Al Habtoor’s Easter exhibition match.

“Polo is huge in my homeland, everyone has a farm, many own horses, and the sport has been a part of my family for generations.”

Played on horseback, the game involves two teams using long-handled mallets to score goals with a small ball.

While the traditions of the sport have stayed the same, Cuitino has witnessed the growing accessibility of polo, particularly in Dubai.

“In these days polo is like any other sport,” he said. “Some players at the age of 17-years-old are already playing at the top level, this is a credit to the sport.

“Particularly in Dubai the rise in young participation is something which I’ve witnessed and clubs like Al Habtoor help towards this.

“It’s a very competitive game now and here in Dubai we are lucky to have some of the best players in the world now.”

Historically, polo originated around 600 BC in Persia where the horses used were Persian breeds prized for their agility and courage. As the sport gained popularity, European Thoroughbreds were introduced into breeding programmes worldwide to boost speed and athleticism.

As Argentine ponies now dominate polo, Cuitino is well-equipped to explain what makes a pony excel on the field.

He continued: “A top level polo pony is one which has been trained since it was born, first they're taught certain movements that will help them when on the field, then by the age of four they’re usually playing polo at slow level.

“It’s not until they’re around six-years-old that they’re ready to play at a high level, there has to be a good three-to-four year period where they’re trained exceptionally hard before they can properly compete.

“The polo ponies are now all coming from the race tracks, their blood is the same of the racehorses.”

The Al Habtoor Polo Club in Dubai, was established in 2010 and has since become one of the premier polo destinations in the Middle East.

Established by the Al Habtoor Group, the club was created to bring world-class polo to the UAE while fostering the sport locally. Cuitino first learned of this vision in England, after meeting Mohammed Al Habtoor, the group’s vice chairman and CEO.

“I first met Mohammed Al Habtoor in England, he’s the reason I joined the club, and now, 18 years later, my life in Dubai is all thanks to him,” stated Cuitino.

“The community at Al Habtoor is amazing, it’s been a project which has been a huge success and even with the current situation in Dubai, we have continued to welcome good crowds of people who can enjoy watching the games here.”

Cuitino has enjoyed a long and decorated career with Habtoor Polo, earning his place as a true club legend.

In the 2016 Dubai Challenge Cup, Cuitino was Habtoor’s top scorer with four goals, helping the team reach the semifinals. More recently in 2025, he starred in the AHPC League subsidiary final for Titans Polo Team’s 7–4 win, and later that year, he was top scorer with five goals as Habtoor Polo lifted the Thesiger Trophy at British Polo Day.

Beyond elite competition, the club has invested heavily in youth development, offering training programmes through its academy to nurture the next generation of players.

As well as being a mainstay of the Al Habtoor Polo team Cuitino is a coach at the club’s academy, where he plays a key role in encouraging youth participation.

“At our academy we welcome kids both male and female as young as four-years-old to start riding the horses we have,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter what age or gender, everyone is welcome to the Al Habtoor academy to learn the sport of polo, and this is something which fills me with pride.”