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World Arabian Horse Racing meet to be held annually

Owners, trainers, veterinarians, racing officials have descended in Abu Dhabi for the first ever World Arabian Horse Racing Conference which begins on Thursday.

The three-day event is being held under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

The Conference is being organised by the Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival and is being held alongside the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2010 (ADIHEX).

The Conference is sponsored by HSBC bank, Bonyan International Investment Company, Abu Dhabi Investment Company and Areej Al Ameerat. It is also supported by the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club and the Wathba Stud Farm. The experts will be involved in panel discussions over two days and then take part in a day-long seminar.

“Representatives of major racing centres, owners, trainers, veterinarians, racing officials and all those who have Arabian racing at their heart will all be here exchanging views and expertise on making this sport reach further and wider,” said Lara Sawaya, Director of the Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival.

“It is only appropriate that Abu Dhabi stage this ground-breaking conference for over the last few decades the focus in the UAE has been on Purebred Arabian racing,” she added.

“The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) seeks to explore the relevant aspects of horse racing through the organisation of this distinctive local and international event. This event will enjoy the participation of over 100 experts and researchers from twenty countries, both Arabic and foreign. Specific topics open for discussion at this event include an examination of the individual characteristics of the sport and the finer points of horse-breeding. The event also hopes to increase levels of interest in Arabian horse racing, from both inside and outside the UAE,” Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Director of Communication at the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, said.

“UAE is known for its support for Purebred Arabian horses. We are grateful to the UAE for staging such an important conference and we really needed this. We are keen to make this an annual affair. We are looking forward to hear from representatives from different parts of the world. We need to listen to them and share their expertise. This will be a whole new learning experience,” International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) Chairman Sami Jassim Al Bunain said.

Shaikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region and Chairman of the Emirates Falconers’ Club ‘touch-started’ the first ever pad-free-to-download application connected with Purebred Arabian racing. “This is an I-pad and I-phone application and with over three million I-pads already sold, will be free to download and use. It has been sponsored by Invest AD,” Sawaya said.

Talal Al Hashmi of Abu Dhabi Sports Council said: “This is another event which raises the profile of Abu Dhabi which has in the recent past become of the world’s leading centres of sports activities.”

Stephen Bowey of Invest AD, Taroob Hassan, Deputy Head of Business, Abu Dhabi HSBC Middle East Limited and Khaldoon Mohammed Salah of Bonyan International Investment Company were also present.

james@khaleejtimes.com