The 21st edition of the 2026 Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship is scheduled to be played from November 5 to 8 at the Yas Links golf course. The field consists of 70 players with a USD 9 million purse and 2000 Race to Dubai ranking points.
The 2025 Abu Dhabi Championship winner, Aaron Rai will look to defend the title after a thrilling play-off victory last year. Rai defeated fellow English golfer Tommy Fleetwood in a 1-hole play-off after scoring a 25-under par 263 at the end of Round Four.

Rai has mixed outcomes this season with three Top-10 and nine Top-25 finishes across the PGA and the DP World Tour. However, he bagged one win at a Major event, the U.S. PGA Championship, with a 9-under par 271 at the Aronimink Golf Course, Philadelphia. His recent finishes include the T20 and T2 positions at the DP World India Championship and the BMW PGA Championship, respectively.

The seven-time DP World Tour winner scored 27 birdies, an eagle and only five bogeys at the Yas Links golf course last year. This displays a thorough understanding of the course giving him an edge at the competition this year. Rai has a decent momentum from his past two performances which may be helpful in defending the Abu Dhabi Championship title.