The 2025 Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo began in thrilling style on Friday as the six competing teams put on a spectacular show at AlFursan Equestrian Village.
The world’s first organized desert polo tournament, held within the stunning surroundings of AlUla’s breathtaking natural landscape, sees some of polo’s finest professional players play alongside and against Royal Dignitaries and international patrons.
Day 1 was dedicated to the Round Robin matches, with the six teams divided into two Zones. The action began with Zone A matches as Team Ikmah comprising Nacho Figueras, HRH Prince Hamza bin Abbas, and Ploy Bhinsaengdefeated Team Dadan of Mia Cambiaso, HRH Prince Abbas bin Ali, and Miguel Morel 4-2.
Dadan remained on the field and fell to a second defeat against Team AlUla (Adolfo Cambiaso, Abdulmohsen Alkohair, and Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi) by a score of 5-2. Zone A concluded the first session of play with Ikmah beating AlUla in a 5-4 thriller.
Zone B was the focus of the second session and began with Team Bentley (Adolfo “Poroto” Cambiaso Jr, HRH Sultan bin Khaled Al Faisal and Sarah-Siegel-Magness) earning a dramatic 4-3 win over Team Budget (Milly Hine, Earl of Medina Harry Louis David Mountbatten, and Phillip Muller).
That was followed by a 2-2 draw between Bentley and Team Richard Mille (Pablo MacDonough, Marchioness of Milford Haven Clare Mountbatten, and Mohammed ElSewedy) before Richard Mille turned on the style to beat Budget 3-0.
Based on the final standings, Zone A winners Ikmah will play Zone B winners Richard Mille in Saturday’s Richard Mille Cup Final, where the victors will claim the coveted Desert Polo trophy. Before then, Zone A runners-up AlUla will face Zone B runners-up Bentley in the Subsidiary Cup Final, while Day 2 action starts with the Wooden Spoon Cup Final between the two third-placed teams Dadan and Budget.
It was a memorable day of polo and entertainment at AlFursanEquestrian Village, where guests were treated to elite-level play on the field and a range of engaging activities and live music in the Fan Village, including a dedicated Kids Zone.
The Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo concludes on Saturday and the polo starts at 12.30pm with the Wooden Spoon Cup Final. The Subsidiary Cup Final is scheduled to begin at 2.15pm before the grand finale Richard Mille Cup final rounds off the action at 4pm. The event will wrap up with an awards and prize giving ceremony.
The fourth staging of the Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo continues this tournament’s fine tradition of celebrating Saudi Arabia’s rich equestrian heritage while showcasing the deep culture and fascinating history of AlUla.
Richard Mille AlUla Desert Cup is part of the AlUla Moments calendar 2024/25 and supports Saudi Vision 2030 by contributing to the local economy and boosting tourism through top-class sports and entertainment. Held throughout the year, AlUla Moments includes an array of extraordinary sports and cultural events, including the AlUla Tour professional cycling race, AlUla Desert Trail, and AlFursanEndurance AlUla.