Committee relaxes rules on import of horses

DUBAI- The UAE Higher Technical Committee on Equine Matters has relaxed the rules governing temporary import of horses into the UAE for competitions, allowing movement of these horses within the region to become simpler.

By Meraj Rizvi

Published: Thu 20 Mar 2003, 11:19 AM

Last updated: Wed 1 Apr 2015, 10:55 PM

The amended rules which came into effect last month, were introduced in the wake of a rapid increase in the number of equine competitions in the Middle East Region.

The Dubai World Cup, scheduled to be held on March 29, is among the many events to have become one of the major international equine competitions hosted in the UAE that attracts equines from around the world.

Abdullah Sultan, Director of Animal Wealth Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Chairman of the Higher Technical Committee, said the committee which met earlier this year has eliminated the requirements for Equine Viral Arteritis, Dourine, Glanders and African Horse Sickness testing in horses arriving in the country on temporary import permit for competitions. "Besides, the time period during which Equine Infectious Anaemia testing and Equine Influenza vaccination should be carried out, has been extended from 60 days to 90 days.

"In the case of EIA, it was felt that testing for the disease should continue because the disease is wide spread in other regions of the world from which we import horses and because these horses can become infected without showing any overt sign," Mr Sultan said.

He said the amendments, which have been approved by most countries in the Gulf, had been introduced after carrying out several tests on horses and their diseases as well as their health conditions in the Gulf countries. "A large number of horses have been tested without any evidence of any of these diseases being present in the UAE and other Gulf states," Mr Sultan said.