UAE's Al Tajir Family Lists Scotland's Unopened gWest Golf Resort for Sale

An incomplete golf resort in Scotland owned by the UAE's Al Tajir family, which has never opened to the public, has officially been put on the market. Located near the world-famous Gleneagles course in Perthshire, gWest was originally designed to rival the quality of its historic neighbor, though few people have ever played the course on the private gated resort spanning more than 80 hectares.

The property was acquired by the UAE’s Al Tajir family in 2007, with the tournament-standard course completed two years later. Mahdi Al Tajir, who became the first UAE ambassador to the UK in 1971 and owns the nearby Highland Spring water company, was named the richest man in Scotland by The Sunday Times in 2013. However, a combination of the financial crisis, the Scottish independence debate and referendum, Brexit, and Covid-19 led the family to conclude that the timing was never right for the next stage of investment.

As a result, the 18th-century-inspired clubhouse remains only a shell, and plans for the rest of the resort—which holds permission for up to 170 residential plots, a hotel and spa, leisure and entertainment facilities, and staff accommodation—remain on hold. Property consultant Knight Frank has now been instructed to find a buyer as the family welcomes offers for the resort.

Euan Kelly, partner at Knight Frank Edinburgh, stated that it is incredibly rare for an asset like gWest to become available, noting that they expect significant global interest. Celebrated course architect David McLay Kidd, who designed the championship-standard course, previously described the resort as the best inland site he had ever seen for a golf course. Situated within Scotland's prominent golf and leisure corridor, the estate is surrounded by natural land and features extraordinary views of the Ochil Hills, Ben Vorlich, and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, alongside two listed heritage sites of old forts and an adjacent ancient church.

Speaking in 2020, Mr Al Tajir’s son, Mohsin, noted that further development would require an additional investment of £50 million, £60 million, or perhaps £100 million, which the family was unwilling to commit without economic certainty.