Emaar Properties will tee off this year's Dubai Desert Classic Pro-Am Tournament today with the company's own amateur team playing with South African golfing superstar Emie Els.

Emaar Properties Chairman Mohammed Alabbar, an enthusiastic golfer and Chairman of the UAE Golf Association, will be accompanied by his son Rashid in a foursome with Els as one of the 50 teams participating in this year's Pro-Am event, sponsored by Emirates Hills, Dubai's unique luxury residential golf community.

As the sponsor of this prestigious curtain raiser to the four-day Desert Classic Emaar Properties will be fielding three teams this year. The morning session commences at 7.45am with the afternoon session starting at 1pm.

It will be the fourth year that Emaar has sponsored the Pro-Am event at the Dubai Desert Classic. This year, Emaar will profile its prestige residential community at Emirates Hills which features a championship golf course created by master architect Desmond Muirhead in association with Colin Montgomerie.

Exciting new developments at the golf course at Emirates Hills will be announced during the course of the Dubai Desert Classic.