Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship 2026 transport: getting to Yas Links for the Abu Dhabi golf championship

The Abu Dhabi golf championship is now the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, and the 2026 edition runs 5–8 November at Yas Links Golf Club on Yas Island. Entry is free on Thursday and Friday. Last year spectators’ cars couldn’t park at the course: general admission used the Yas Mall park and ride, and drop-offs were at the Welcome Tent off Yas Drive. From Dubai Marina it’s about an hour.

We run Dubai to Abu Dhabi chauffeur trips for tournament week and pick up across Abu Dhabi. This guide covers the new name, the ticket days, how parking worked last year and how to fit in the Play-Off week that follows in Dubai.

What happened to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship?

It’s the same tournament with a new title partner. The Abu Dhabi Media Office announcement names Aldar as the new title partner and confirms 5–8 November 2026 at Yas Links. The event is staged by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the DP World Tour, and it’s the first of the two season-ending DP World Tour Play-Offs. The leading 70 available players on the Race to Dubai rankings play, and the top 50 afterwards go on to the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai the following week.

Edition	Name	Dates	Course	Status
2024	Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship	7–10 November 2024	Yas Links	Played
2025	Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship	6–9 November 2025	Yas Links	Played
2026	Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship	5–8 November 2026	Yas Links	Confirmed
2027	Not announced yet; usually early November	Not announced	Not announced	Based on 2024–2026
2028	Not announced yet; usually early November	Not announced	Not announced	Based on 2024–2026

The DP World Tour’s tournament page carries tee times, the leaderboard and the spectator information as it’s published.

Ticket days: free Thursday and Friday, paid weekend

Day	Date	Round	General admission
Thursday	5 November	Round 1	Free
Friday	6 November	Round 2	Free
Saturday	7 November	Round 3	From AED 75
Sunday	8 November	Final round	From AED 75

The media office lists Ticket+ at the Bar on Nine from AED 170, including an AED 100 food and drink voucher, and the Championship Chalet on the 18th from AED 1,680. Premium Experience tickets include priority parking.

The Thursday and Friday rounds fall on working days for most of Dubai, so a morning drive out shares the E11 with commuters.

Parking and shuttles at Yas Links

Parking is the reason a car with a driver suits this event. In 2025 there was no general parking at the course itself. The DP World Tour’s 2025 travel and parking guide set it out like this:

Car park (2025)	Where	Who	Shuttle
CP3	Yas Mall Grand Prix parking, LG and Mezzanine	General admission, free park and ride	Every 30 minutes
CP4	Yas Mall Fashion parking, LG and Mezzanine	General admission, free park and ride	Every 30 minutes
CP5	Silver 2 car park (Gate 12), Yas Marina Circuit	Ticket+ (priority parking)	Every 15 minutes
CP2	Inside Yas Links Golf Club	Hospitality and Premium Experience	Golf buggy to the VIP entrance

Taxis, ride-hailing cars and private drop-offs used the area outside the Welcome Tent, with the entrance off Yas Drive. Hospitality and Premium guests arriving by taxi couldn’t drive into CP2; their drop-off was outside the Main Entrance Tent.

The 2026 travel and parking details are on the tournament page, and the site maps were still being finalised in October. Expect a similar layout, but check before you go.

What that means in practice

A general admission ticket and your own car means parking at Yas Mall and a shuttle that runs every 30 minutes, each way. On a warm afternoon, that wait at the end of the day is the bit people remember. With a chauffeur, you’re dropped at the Welcome Tent, and the car comes back to the same spot when you message.

Getting to Yas Links from Dubai

The DP World Tour’s directions are simple: E11 (Sheikh Zayed Road) south towards Abu Dhabi, take the Yas Island East exit for Yas Leisure Drive, then follow the brown Ferrari World Abu Dhabi signs to the Yas Mall car parks. Yas Island is on the Dubai side of Abu Dhabi, so you don’t cross onto the main island, and the only Darb gate on the way is Ghantoot on the E11.

From	Usual drive	Notes
Dubai Marina / JLT	about 1 hour	The closest part of Dubai
Downtown / Business Bay	about 1 hour 15–20 minutes	Add time for the weekday morning exit from Dubai
Abu Dhabi Corniche	about 30–35 minutes	Across the island and out to Yas
Saadiyat Island	about 20 minutes	The shortest run in Abu Dhabi

Golf has no single start time. Tee times go up on the DP World Tour site before each round, and most fans want the afternoon groups on Saturday and Sunday, when the leaders go out. For a final-round afternoon, leaving Dubai Marina around 11am gives you the back nine and the finish without rushing. Our Dubai to Abu Dhabi distance and travel time guide shows the best and worst hours to drive.

Leaving after the final round

On Sunday most of the crowd gathers around the 18th, and everyone leaves together after the trophy. That’s the peak for the park-and-ride shuttles back to Yas Mall and for taxis at the Welcome Tent.

Our approach: the chauffeur waits on Yas Island on hourly hire (3-hour minimum, no night surcharge), and you message when you’re walking out. If you’d rather beat the crowd, leave as the last group plays the 17th. Back in Dubai Marina about an hour later.

Corporate groups in the Championship Chalet or hospitality usually move together. One Mercedes V-Class with chauffeur takes up to six guests, and for larger groups we arrange minibuses. For a client day that needs a first-class sedan or a Rolls-Royce at the door, see our limousine service in Abu Dhabi.

Two Play-Off weeks, and the T10 next door

The season finale follows straight on. The DP World Tour Championship is at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai on 12–15 November 2026; our DP World Tour Championship transport guide covers it. If you’re following both, we’ll plan the two weeks together.

The weekend also overlaps the start of the Abu Dhabi T10 at Zayed Cricket Stadium on 7 November, about 20–25 minutes from Yas Island. A golf afternoon and an 8pm cricket match is a realistic Saturday. Everything else for the season is in our Dubai events calendar.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Abu Dhabi Championship?

The Abu Dhabi Championship is the DP World Tour’s Abu Dhabi golf tournament at Yas Links. From 2026 it’s called the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, after Aldar became title partner; until 2025 it was the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. It’s the first of the two DP World Tour Play-Offs, followed by the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

When is the Abu Dhabi golf championship 2026?

The Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship runs Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 November 2026 at Yas Links Golf Club, Yas Island. General admission is free on the first two days, and weekend tickets start at AED 75. The 2027 dates haven’t been announced; the last three editions were all in the first half of November.

Where do you park for the golf at Yas Links?

In 2025, general admission spectators parked at Yas Mall (Grand Prix and Fashion car parks) and took a free shuttle every 30 minutes; Ticket+ holders parked at Yas Marina Circuit’s Silver 2 car park with a 15-minute shuttle. Only hospitality and Premium guests parked at the course. Check the 2026 arrangements on the DP World Tour site.

How do I get from Dubai to Yas Links?

Drive south on Sheikh Zayed Road (E11), take the Yas Island East exit for Yas Leisure Drive and follow signs to the Yas Mall car parks for the park and ride. Allow about an hour from Dubai Marina and 1 hour 15–20 minutes from Downtown. With a chauffeur, you’re dropped at the Welcome Tent off Yas Drive.

What are the upcoming golf tournaments in the UAE?

In November 2026 the DP World Tour Play-Offs come to the UAE: the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship at Yas Links on 5–8 November, then the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai on 12–15 November. Our Dubai events calendar lists the rest of the season’s sport.