Four-time Grand Slam winner Kim Clijsters will make her much anticipated return to the court against Kiki Bertens at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships next week.

The 36 year-old has not played a match on the WTA Tour since retiring following her second round exit to Laura Robson at the 2012 US Open.

Now, after more than seven years out of the game, Clijsters will look to re-build her career as she begins with a tough opening round match with world No 8 Bertens.

Another mouthwatering first round tie in the Middle East will see two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist Elina Svitolina take on the 2020 Australian Open runner-up Garbine Muguruza.

Elsewhere in Dubai draw, Muguruza's conqueror Sofia Kenin will resume her season following her triumph in Melbourne when she takes on Kazakh-Russian Elena Rybakina.

And Belinda Bencic, the defending champion from last year's event, will open her week with a difficult match against Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

The Dubai championships gets underway on Monday, February 17, with the final scheduled for Saturday, February 22.