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Australian Open returns to traditional formatdropping mixed tournamentMcIlroy excited to compete at Royal Melbourne after format changeLocal and international players vie for Stonehaven Cup at prestigious event With five-times major champion Rory McIlroy leading the field and a return to Royal Melbourne for the first time since 1991, there is a genuine sense of excitement about the 108th playing of the Australian Open. Golf Australia earlier this year dumped the groundbreaking mixed men’s, women’s and all-abilities format that was introduced in 2022, leaving Australia’s oldest and most prestigious tournament once again the sole centre of attention. The tournament, which these days is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, counts golfing greats Greg Norman, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player among its former winners.Masters champion McIlroy already has his name etched on the Stonehaven Cup after beating Adam Scott in a playoff at Royal Sydney in 2013 and the Northern Irishman said he was excited to be back in Australia. “It hasn’t been a secret that I’ve wanted to come back... (and) the change in the format, going back to the traditional Australian Open has probably helped,” he told reporters on Wednesday, ahead of Thursday’s opening round. “It just feels like this country is starved of top level golf. Obviously, you’ve had Presidents Cups come down here and you’ve had a lot of good players still come through, but maybe just not on a consistent basis. “And I think a market like this, with amazing fans and the history that it does have, probably deserves more of a consistency of big players and big tournaments.” Major winners Cam Smith and Scott are expected to lead the home charge to get the Stonehaven Cup back into Australian hands for the first time since Matt Jones won his second title in 2019. Min Woo Lee and Karl Vilips, a PGA Tour winner in his rookie season, are other local contenders, while Britain’s former Masters champion Danny Willett and 2023 Australian Open winner Joaquin Niemann are among the international challengers. Former Masters champion Scott won the title in 2009 but said to win it at the world-renowned sandbelt course would be extra special. “I think winning the Aussie Open at Royal Melbourne has one of those asterisks next to it, where it’s just that little bit more meaningful,” the 45-year-old said. Former British Open champion Smith, who has endured a horror run of form in recent months, was one of the main critics of the mixed tournament, arguing that conditions had been made easier to help the women. “There was a lot of back-and-forth throughout the last couple of years, and I think everyone’s pretty happy with the result,” he said. “Everyone’s talking about the Aussie Open again, which is what we wanted.” 

Qatar Chamber participated in the 14th World Chambers Congress in Australia's Melbourne.The biannual conference was held under the theme "Business, chambers, government: Partners for prosperity," with the attendance of 1,200 participants from a 100 countries. It featured 30 panel sessions with more than 80 speakers. Discussions centred on how fostering collaboration among businesses, chambers of commerce, and governments can effectively drive economic growth and prosperity.Qatar Chamber’s delegation, chaired by Chairman of Qatar Chamber and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Qatar) Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani, discussed ways to enhance co-operation with chambers of commerce worldwide, exchange experiences on best practices that support the private sector and promote inter-trade between countries.Sheikh Khalifa took part in the World Chambers Federation (WCF) Executive Committee meeting and the "Chamber Leadership Round Table: Strategic Dialogue on Global Trends." He also met with Governor of Victoria Professor Margaret Gardner AC where they discussed ways to enhance co-operation, particularly in economic and commercial fields.Additionally, Sheikh Khalifa held separate meetings with Philippe Varin, Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC); Rifat Hisarciklioglu, President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkiye (TOBB); Gennadiy Chyzhykov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Lyall Gorman, Deputy President of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Danny Pearson MP, Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs, and Gonul Serbest, Commissioner for Victoria to Europe, the Middle East, Turkiye, and Africa.The Chamber’s delegation held a meeting with a delegation of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.Discussions during these meetings focused on enhancing co-operation between the Qatari private sector and its counterparts in these countries, as well as reviewing the business climate and investment opportunities.For his part, QC Board Member Mohamed al-Obaidli participated in a panel session titled "Investing in Stability: Building Trust and Fostering Investment Readiness in the Face of Sweeping Changes." Sheikha Tamader al-Thani, ICC Qatar Secretary-General and Director of International Relations and Chambers Affairs at Qatar Chamber, participated in the WCF General Council Meeting, the WCF Women’s Council workshop on "Building Effective Women’s Entrepreneurship Programmes: Why Chambers The Case for Championing Women Entrepreneurs," as well as the Best Chamber Innovative Project Competition.In addition, Ahmed Abu Nahya moderated a panel session titled "World Chambers Competition: Best out-of-the-box project."Sheikh Khalifa emphasised that the Qatar Chamber was keen to participate in this global conference, noting that Chamber had previously hosted its eighth edition in 2013.He highlighted Qatar’s key in supporting the flow of global trade and pointed out that the conference serves as a leading global platform, bringing together chambers from around the world to discuss best practices, exchange experiences, and review key achievements in international trade.The World Chambers Congress, organised by the ICC and its World Chambers Federation, is the largest and only international forum that enables chamber leaders and professionals to share best practices, exchange insights, develop networks, address the latest business issues affecting their communities, and learn about new areas of innovation from chambers around the world.Qatar Chamber’s participation as a platinum sponsor of the congress reflects its commitment to strengthening its presence in global economic forums, showcasing investment opportunities in Qatar, and fostering new partnerships with counterparts from around the world to serve the aspirations of the Qatari private sector.Through its pavilion at the congress, the Chamber highlighted Qatar’s investment climate and promoted avenues for co-operation and partnership between the Qatari private sector and businesses from the participating countries.