Spearheaded by Khalid Attieh and Othman Almulla, the Saudis tallied an impressive gross 887, upstaging defending champions Morocco (903) en route to their maiden win in the championship.

Rising star Attieh closed with the tournament’s low score of a three-under 69 after carding three straight 74s to reach three-over 291 for the championship, edging past his team-mate Almulla by three shots in an exciting duel for the individual gold medal.

A total of 11 teams competed for honours in the team and individual categories at the scenic Ghala Golf Club – with the UAE team finishing down in seventh.

“We are delighted to win our first team title and Khalid’s gold. It is double delight for us. The experience of playing alongside professional golfers from all over the world on the MENA Golf Tour lit up the spark for this victory,” said Almulla, who was named best amateur from the region on this season’s MENA Tour thanks to his six victories in the division.

Gold medal winner Attieh said playing at the Ghala Open, the penultimate MENA Tour event last month, at the same venue, helped him get accustomed to the course.

“Finishing in red figures certainly added to my confidence and helped me in navigating the course,” said the 21-year-old, who divides his time between Dubai and the USA.