Dubai: The largest airline in the Middle East, Emirates will sponsor the opening night of the Dubai Racing Carnival, set to take place on November 10, 2023.
According to the statement, this event will mark the first of 15 races to be held at the iconic Meydan Racecourse throughout the season. The inaugural meeting will feature eight races, all of which will be open to international challengers, aligning with a new initiative recently introduced by Dubai Racing Club.
Established in October 1985, Emirates Airline is now the largest international carrier in the world, flying to more than 140 destinations across all four continents with a fleet of 260 aircraft.
The airline has supported racing in Dubai for over 20 years, most notably lending its name to the most prestigious race in the UAE, the $12 million G1 Dubai World Cup, which is supported by Emirates Airline.
Emirates Airline will name all races on the card, all of which feature a minimum of $44,923 (AED165,000) in prize money. These include both the feature events, two handicaps worth $57,175 (AED210,000), one over 1600 meters, and one over 1200 meters.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, stated that, “We thank His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, for supporting Emirates as the presenting Sponsor of Dubai World Cup since its inception in 1996 and Title Sponsor of Super Saturday, building a platform for Emirates to establish itself as one of the main global supporters of horseracing worldwide. We look forward to the start of another exciting race season, premiering with Opening Night at the Meydan Racecourse and culminating in Dubai World Cup, the pinnacle of equestrian sport.”
Sheikh Rashed Bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Racing Club, commented that, “We are delighted to have Emirates on board for this landmark first meeting of the season at Meydan Racecourse. They remain one of the world’s leading airlines and their continued support of horse racing in Dubai and across the world is hugely valued. We look forward to working with them once again and to an exciting evening of racing, which marks the start of the new Dubai Racing Carnival and a new era for racing in Dubai.”
The Emirates Airline-sponsored opening night precedes another 13 meetings of the Dubai Racing Carnival. In line with the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Meydan Racecourse will become a global center of excellence, where owners and trainers can base their horses for the lucrative winter program throughout the Middle East.