Abandoned golf course

A luxury golf course in Blackford, Scotland, owned by billionaire Mahdi Al Tajir, was completed in 2009 but never opened to the public. Originally intended to rival nearby Gleneagles, the course—named gWest—was part of a grand vision to include a six-star hotel and 170 high-end homes. Al Tajir, once considered the richest man in the world, had ambitions for gWest to host PGA Tour events and even hired renowned golf course designer David McLay Kidd. Despite its completion, the course remains unused, and no major tournaments have taken place there.

The Al Tajir family cites the 2008 financial crash, Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, and Scottish political uncertainty as reasons the project stalled. In a 2020 interview, Al Tajir’s son Mohsin explained the family’s hesitance to invest more—potentially over £100 million—given fears around taxes and governance if Scotland gained independence. He suggested that if Scotland became a tax haven, investment would resume enthusiastically. Despite its inactivity, the course remains in pristine condition, with Mohsin jokingly admitting he has played it a few dozen times, even though he’s not a great golfer.