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Dubai Meydan Race Course Opens
by Holiday Rental Centre Team
February 2010
on 28th January 2010 the newly constructed Meydan racecourse opened its doors to mark the start of the racing season in Dubai.
Four years after construction began, the Meydan Racecourse hosted its first race on 28th January, with an eye on establishing itself as one of the world’s leading horse racing venues.
The race course, at an estimated cost of Dh10 billion (US$2.7bn), has a capacity for 60,000 people who can watch the action from a 1.6km-long grandstand, which has a 5,000-capacity Sky Bubble lounge on top.
The main grandstand’s solar-panelled roof and swimming pool are among highlights of the Meydan Racecourse. The 18 square km site also boasts a five-star hotel, an Imax cinema and a museum. The overall complex, which is nearly complete, is intended to be a year-round entertainment and social venue, rather than it's seasonal horse racing.
It was built on the site of the Nad al Sheba racecourse, which hosted the Dubai World Cup for the past 14 seasons.
Frank Gabriel, the chief executive of the Dubai Racing Club (DRC), said Meydan would allow the emirate’s racing season – known as the Dubai International Racing Carnival – to continue growing its worldwide reputation.
“The grandstand and facilities here can broaden exposure of thoroughbred racing to people in the UAE and beyond,” he said yesterday. “As we have more facilities, we are able to initiate programmes to attract children and families and make Thursday evenings special.”
From its inaugural race in 1995, the Dubai World Cup has been run on a dirt track. However, a new synthetic all-weather course will attract turf-trained horses and offer spectators the chance to see the very best compete in the world’s richest race.
“The synthetic track opens up the world to us and offers different options,” said Mr Gabriel.
“Spectators will be closer to the action than Nad al Sheba as most races start and finish in front of the grandstand. We hope to recreate the great atmosphere that built up at Nad al Sheba.”
It is hoped that Meydan, which has double the capacity of the former stadium 'Nad al Sheba', will attract 300,000 spectators to the racing carnival that begun on 28th January 2010 and culminates into the spectacular 'Dubai World Cup' in March. General admission to regular Thursday meetings will be free.
“There are local supporters who share the Royal Family’s love for horses but we also hope to attract new fans. There are not many places in the world that can attract 60,000 spectators to a horse race,” Mr Gabriel said.
Saeed al Tayer, the chairman of Meydan, said although he expected an initial “wow factor”, the course’s long-term success would rest on the reaction of the racing fraternity.
“The priority for us is that the horses have smooth movement from arrival to departure. Feedback from jockeys has been positive and we have ironed out a few last-minute problems,” he said.
“Meydan is designed as an attraction. The Imax cinema will host conferences and the museum will be an educational facility and tourist experience."
“We will not only focus on the history of racing but also the traditions of the desert and the local environment. We have been looking at how to make Meydan an all-year round attraction.” Several trial races have been staged to ensure that the 1.75km course is safe and ready for competition.
The Meydan Race Course officially opened at 4pm on 28th January 2010, with an eight-race programme commencing at 6pm, including the prestigious Maktoum challenge. Race meetings are each Thursday evening until end of March 2010, which then hosts the Dubai World Cup. During the event most hotels will be fully booked, so book your villas or apartments in Dubai early, to avoid any disappointment.
HRC team are UK based travel writers, specialising in holiday destinations worldwide. Managing the busy Holiday Rental Centre website, they incorporates the ‘Holiday Advice’ section at Holiday Rental Centre which forms an increasing collection of articles, top-tips and travel resources.
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