STAR-STUDDED CAST ANNOUNCED FOR RICHARD MILLE ALULA DESERT POLO FEATURING POLO GOAT ADOLFO CAMBIASO
- The world’s only organised polo tournament in a desert environment returns to AlUla for a third time from 17-20 January
- Cambiaso one of eight professional players alongside son Poroto and daughter Mia
- Eight royal dignitaries also playing along with international patrons
- Celebrity audiences and avid fans from around the globe set to attend prestigious competition; tickets available now
AlUla, Saudi Arabia – 09 January 2024:
AlUla Moments has announced new Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo 2024 details ahead of its fabulous third edition this month, revealing the professional players, royal dignitaries, and international patrons competing in the prestigious competition from 17-20 January.
Held in partnership with the Saudi Polo Federation (SPF), Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo features a series of adrenaline-packed matches as eight teams face off for the Desert Polo trophy live from the Equestrian Village.
With four days of impeccable equestrianism, incredible skill, high-speed action, and world-class competition already in store, audiences have another reason for excitement with the player roster officially confirmed, including professional female players for the first time.
Exactly like previous editions, the world’s only organised polo tournament in a desert environment has attracted some of the sport’s best players and biggest names, setting the scene for another incredible sporting event amidst AlUla’s spectacular scenery.
Ziad AlSuhaibani, Chief of Sports Sector at Royal Commission for AlUla commented: “Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo has become a catalyst for AlUla’s emergence as a global home for equestrianism and winter polo in its short yet incredible history. Its profile and popularity have grown enormously both regionally and internationally and even more foundations for long-term growth and development will be cemented this year. This is one of the many reasons why anticipation is sky-high heading into the tournament’s third edition. We’re incredibly excited to welcome everyone for an epic four days of elite competition.”
Rami AlMoallim, Vice President of Destination Management and Marketing at the Royal Commission for AlUla added: “We can’t wait for January 17 when the action at Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo gets underway – it’s going to be a brilliant event and anticipation will be even greater following today’s news. The involvement of some of the sport’s elite players amplifies not only its prestige – but also its attractiveness within the international polo community. It’s a fantastic feeling knowing that the best talent and teams want to play in this event and we’re sure the fans will be ecstatic as well.”
Among the players is Argentina’s Adolfo Cambiaso, widely considered as the greatest polo player of all time. He makes his way to AlUla alongside Juan Martin Nero, David Stirling, and son Poroto – all teammates from La Dolfina, one of the world’s best and most iconic polo teams.
Pablo Mac Donough is also part of the Argentinian contingent alongside female players Lia Salvo and Cambiaso’s daughter, Mia. Britain’s Nina Clarkin is the other female player completing the professional lineup.
The royal dignitaries confirmed for Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo include HRH Prince Sultan bin Khaled Al-Faisal and HRH Prince Salman bin Mansour bin Nassir Al Saud from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
HRH Prince Abbas bin Ali and HRH Prince Hamza bin Abbas are also competing, as are HSH Anna Dettingen Wallerstein, HSH Carl-Eugen Dettingen Wallerstein, George Spencer Churchill. International patrons are also involved, including Adriano Agosti, Alessandro Barnaba, Sayyu Dantara, Nacho Figueras, Melissa Ganzi, David Paradise, Lila Pearson, and Nicky Sen.
Since its debut, Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo has morphed into a flagship event in the global equestrian calendar, welcoming celebrity audiences and avid fans from across the region and around the world.
While consolidating AlUla’s status as an international polo destination, the tournament has also become a key component of the Royal Commission for AlUla’s (RCU) equestrian commitment to reinforce Saudi Arabia’s long-held historic ties to horsemanship heritage, culture, and the arts.
With luxury hospitality, live entertainment, and much more alongside an incredible atmosphere and professional polo of the highest order, Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo is a ‘must-attend’ event offering a one-in-a-lifetime experience.
For more information and to book tickets, kindly visit experiencealula.com
About AlUla Moments:
AlUla Moments is AlUla’s new home for events. AlUla Moments calendar was launched at the end of 2021 and introduced new festivals and events to celebrate and unlock AlUla’s stories, uncover its secrets, and celebrate local and international cultures. With 7,000 years of civilisations and home to some of the most sophisticated ancient kingdoms of antiquity, AlUla is no stranger to social gatherings and cultural celebrations.
AlUla Moments calendar comprises of five festivals offering diverse experiences in art, culture, music, nature, wellness, equestrian activities, dining, and astronomy. The AlUla Wellness Festival featuring the latest practices to engage the mind, body and soul; Winter at Tantora, the original AlUla celebration of heritage, culture, fashion and music; the Ancient Kingdoms Festival offers immersive events acknowledging the ancient civilisations that lived in AlUla and its neighboring oases in Khaybar and Tayma; AlUla Skies Festival with the popular hot air balloons and stargazing experiences; and AlUla Arts Festival bringing together contemporary and ancient art events and experiences.
In addition to the festivals AlUla Moments calendar offers a number of marquee events, including AZIMUTH and Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo, along with the heritage sports events such as The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup, AlUla Camel Cup, AlUla Falcon Cup, the Tent Pegging World Championchip and Horseback Archery World Cup, a world-class fashion, adventure and sporting events.
For more information, please visit experiencealula.com
About AlUla:
Located 1,100 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned.
The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of 111 well-preserved tombs, many with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement.
Current research also suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Roman Empire after the Roman’s conquered the Nabataeans in 106 CE.
In addition to Hegra, AlUla is also home to ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms and considered to be one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula, and Jabal Ikmah, an open air library of hundreds of inscriptions and writings in many different languages, which has been recently listed on the UNESCO’s memory of the World Register. Also AlUla Old Town Village, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes developed from at least the 12th century, which has been selected as one of the World’s Best Tourism Villages in 2022 by the UNWTO. Additionally, Hijaz Railway and Hegra Fort, which are key sites in the story and conquests of Lawrence of Arabia.
For more information, please visit: experiencealula.com
