Golf Alarab · Player profile
Othman Al Mulla
A national pioneer who helped open the professional pathway.
Othman Al Mulla grew up in Dhahran and became Saudi Arabia’s first professional golfer in 2019. From early appearances in major professional events in the Gulf to winning regional titles and representing his country for 18 years, his career has helped make a place for Saudi players in the international game.
From Dhahran to the international stage
A golfer whose path developed alongside the growth of the game in Saudi Arabia.
Al Mulla grew up in Dhahran in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province and began playing golf as a teenager, around the age of 15. He moved to the United States at 17 to train at the International Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and later played collegiate golf at Glendale Community College in Arizona. Those experiences gave him a route into a sport that was still difficult to access for many young Saudis.
Before turning professional, he was a mainstay of the Saudi national team for 18 years. He competed in regional championships and international qualifying events, steadily building experience while professional pathways for Saudi golfers remained limited. Golf Saudi records that he became the first Saudi to qualify for the Dubai Desert Classic in 2007 and the Qatar Masters in 2008, two important early appearances at professional-tour events.
His regional achievements include the Saudi Open in 2015 and a place on the Saudi team that won the Pan Arab Team Championship in Oman in 2016. Golf Saudi also identifies him as the first Saudi to win the Qatar Open. These results came before his transition to the paid ranks and formed the competitive foundation for his next step.
A defining milestone · 2019
Saudi Arabia’s first professional golfer
Around 2018, Al Mulla approached Golf Saudi with a proposal to support his move into the professional game. In 2019, he turned professional, becoming the first golfer from the Kingdom to do so. The milestone made him both a competitor on international circuits and a visible example of the path that later Saudi players could follow.
Career timeline
Key milestones verified through Golf Saudi, Al Mulla’s own website and published reporting.
Dubai Desert Classic
Golf Saudi identifies Al Mulla as the first Saudi golfer to qualify for the event.
Qatar Masters
A second early appearance in a major professional event in the Gulf, again noted in Golf Saudi’s official biography.
Saudi Open champion
Wins the Saudi Open, one of the key national titles listed in his official Golf Saudi profile.
Pan Arab Team Championship
Helps Saudi Arabia secure its first Pan Arab team title, in Oman, alongside fellow Saudi golfers.
Turns professional
Becomes the first golfer from Saudi Arabia to enter the professional ranks.
Competes internationally
Continues to appear in international professional fields, including events connected with the Asian Tour and Asian Development Tour.
Career achievements
Titles and milestones that define Al Mulla’s place in Saudi golf.
Milestone
First Saudi professional
Turned professional in 2019, opening a new chapter in the country’s golf history.
National title
Saudi Open · 2015
A notable national win before his professional transition.
Regional title
Qatar Open winner
Recognised by Golf Saudi as the first Saudi to win the Qatar Open.
Team achievement
Pan Arab champion · 2016
Part of the Saudi team that won the Pan Arab Team Championship in Oman.
National team
18 years representing Saudi Arabia
A long period representing the country before turning professional.
International starts
Dubai 2007 · Qatar 2008
Among the first steps by a Saudi golfer into high-profile professional events.
Legacy beyond the scorecard
An early professional in a market that has grown rapidly since his transition.
Al Mulla’s significance extends beyond a list of finishes. For much of his early career, he combined national-team golf with a full-time life outside the professional tour structure. His move into professional golf required a new route to sponsorship, tournament access and sustained competition. That experience is part of why his story is often used to describe the development of the sport in Saudi Arabia.
Recent reporting has also placed him at the centre of a broader regional shift: the Gulf now hosts an expanding calendar of internationally sanctioned professional events, while national federations and development programmes work to create opportunities for local players. Al Mulla continues to compete internationally and to represent Saudi Arabia as the country’s first professional golfer. His career is best understood as a pioneering path rather than a claim built on changing world rankings or an unverified career-win total.
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