Scorpio Golf, a relatively young golf apparel company from Dubai, is investing heavily in the development of its presence on the European market, to a point where it is even considering the opening of a European head office. So far it has focused on the corporate market in the Middle East, including orders from royal families.
Scorpio was launched a few years ago by George Khairallah, a former professional tennis player from Lebanon who fled that country to settle down in Dubai. He then became a sports retailer and distributor, selling brands from Arena to Rossignol and more. Through Cleveland Golf, then owned by Rossignol, he was introduced to the golf business and until last March he still distributed its new owner, Srixon, in the country.
In 2001, Khairallah set up Promo Sport, a company concentrating on managing golf events. Scorpio was launched as a complementary business, providing golf garments suitable for such corporate events in warm weather – using a particular yarn developed in Taiwan that offers UV protection.
The start was tough in a country where players were set on cotton shirts, but Scorpio went on to capture a large share of the corporate golf apparel market in Dubai, which is the most significant one in the region. Khairallah says his brand is barely distributed through local retailers because there are few opportunities to do so in Dubai: It is sold in some of the pro shops that operate in each of the country’s 12 golf courses, but not in the few existing off-course golf stores, which are run by companies and distributors that have their own brands.
To move into the European retail market, Scorpio has recruited Neil Webb, a former teaching pro in Germany and in Dubai, who joined in January. Furthermore, it has invested in the endorsement of several tour players, such as Iain Pyman, Yasin Ali, Andrew Marshall, Ross Bain, Lisl Esterl and Rebecca Hudson. Scorpio attended the latest Golf Europe fair in Munich, where it attracted a lot of interest.
Scorpio’s garments are manufactured in Dubai and the price positioning is relatively judicious, with shirts wholesaling at about €12 in Europe. Lisl Esterl, who plays on the Ladies European Tour and has become part of the Scorpio team, is contributing to the design of the brand’s female range. Other pros on the tour have designed their own products and some of them are using Scorpio accessories as well, from bags to umbrellas.
