Dubai World Cup 2022 – The Event of the Year

The world of sports is never boring, with one thing or another always being up. One day it’s the world tournament for cricket, the other it’s FIFA world cup, while still on other days it’s another event bubbling with energy. One of these ever-dynamic events is the Dubai World Cup – an exclusive, annual horse race that also happens to be the world’s most expensive. Dubai and the rest of the UAE are known for their exceptional love of animal sports such as horse riding, which is pretty clear given the enthusiasm that the country shows. 

The Dubai World Cup is a part of the Dubai World Cup Night, which is a series of 9 races. Dubai World Cup is the final race in this sequence. It distributes a rich purse worth over approx. $30 million every year. All the horses that contest in this race go for at least $1 million purses. If this amount appears tremendous, it’s because of the sheer following of the sports in terms of both numbers and passion. 

In that light, let’s get familiar with this incredible day of excellence. 

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What is Dubai World Cup – A History

Dubai World Cup was first held in 1996. It is a thoroughbred horse race held every year since its inception in the Meydan racecourse of Dubai. A total of 13 countries, including the UAE, take part in this race. The Emirates Racing Authority operates and executes the events of this race every year. Owing to its success and following, Dubai World Cup is now the richest horse race in the world. In doing so, it beat the record previously held by Pegasus World Cup from 2017 to 2018. 

Dubai World Cup is a part of the Dubai World Cup Night of races, which is a series of horse races held throughout March every year. Dubai World Cup is the final race held on the last day of this carnival falling on the last Saturday of March. In 2022, the race will be held on the 26th of March. 

Regarding its specifications, the race is held on a dirt track and the distance is about 2,000 meters or 10 furlongs. The track is left-handed, with the minimum age for equines to enter this race being 3 and 4 years for southern and northern hemisphere equines, respectively. The Dubai World Cup horse races alone offer purses worth around $30.5 million, justifying the title of the richest race in the world by some distance.

Dubai World Cup Night or Carnival

Dubai World Cup Night or Dubai World Cup Carnival is a series of 9 races, and one of them is a special Purebred Arabian race. The renowned Dubai World Cup horse race is a part of this event, With all the races included in Dubai World Cup Night being held in the Maydan Racecourse. The final one, called the Dubai World Cup horse race, is the richest horse race in the world. In addition to it, the Dubai World Cup Night combining all nine races is also the world’s richest horse race event, with a reported total purses tally of $30 million. 13 countries take part in 8 out of the total 9 races held during this event. 

About Dubai World Cup Location- Meydan Racecourse

Meydan Racecourse is the currently used venue for Dubai World Cup horse races. It was opened in 2010 to replace the previous racecourse built on the same site, which was named Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, and hosted the Dubai World Cup Night races till 2009. The new racecourse, called Meydan Racecourse, is spread across an area of 7.5 million m2. The grandstand of this racecourse is 1-mile-long and can seat up to 60,000 people. 

Besides the race track, the entirety of the racecourse also includes restaurants, a hotel, a museum, and corporate suites that can be booked any time of the year. Besides that, the Meydan racecourse also includes the Meydan Marina. It is also known to be the first racecourse with a five-star racecourse hotel. 

Event Line-Up for Dubai World Cup Night 2022

Dubai World Cup Night events and races began on January 13th this year with the first race, with the first seven races being held on subsequent Saturdays. March 5th was marked as the Super Saturday racing event, and the final race will be held on March 26th, 2022. The last race of the event will be the Dubai World Cup horse race, as dictated by traditions. 

Quick Fact Guide for Dubai World Cup

• The Dubai World Cup Night races began in 1996 and have been an annual tradition since. 
• An equine named Cigar was crowned the very first winner of the Dubai World Cup horse race, which is now owned by Allen E. Paulson. 
• Dubai Millennium, the horse that won the Dubai World Cup horse race of 2000, holds the record of finishing the lap in the shortest recorded time. This was also the beloved equine of Sheikh Mohammad. 
• The current Meydan Racecourse, in its complete capacity, is the only racecourse in the world to have a five-star hotel on the premises. 
• Dubai Racing Club is in charge of hosting and executing all 9 races every year.

Racing and More

With all the eccentric hats, shoes, and a lot more, Dubai World Cup is not just about being the richest horse of the year globally. Besides the race, it is also one of the events where fashion peaks and shines the brightest. It is an open secret that horse races all around the world are events laden with high fashion. Attendees can always be seen wrapped in some of the most influential and iconic fashion pieces from around the world. The same is the case with Dubai World Cup Carnival.

Besides all the races that are held during the Dubai World Cup Night, you will find several miscellaneous events and competitions organized for an added dose of entertainment. This is the reason why several fashion competitions are organized in between the races. Attendees can take part in these events and compete to win several cash prizes. From events like “The Most Creative Hats” to “Best-Dressed Couple” and “Style Skates Competition” there is something for every guest to try their hand on. 

Previous Performances by Global Artists

Given the global presence of this event, several world-famous artists have performed in the opening ceremony of the Dubai World Cup horse race. As of date, Seal, Jenifer Lopez, Sia, Kylie Minogue, Toni Braxton, Janet Jackson, and Maddie Ziegler have performed during the opening ceremony of the Dubai World Cup horse race. Many other famous appearances are on the schedule.

Top-Preferred Accommodation Options for Dubai World Cup

While there is no dearth of fine accommodation options all across Dubai, only a few make the cut of being the ideal location for the Dubai World Cup horse race. Given below are the top-preferred accommodation options you can scout to find the right fit for this year’s race:

The Meydan Hotel

Hotel Meydan is the most preferred accommodation location for Dubai World Cup Night and all related events, and for good reason. As mentioned above, it is the only 5-star hotel on a racecourse, making it a one-of-a-kind staying option. If you are a horse racing fan, it is ‘that’ location for you. 

The best features of the Meydan Hotel include gorgeous rooftops, infinity pools, rooms and suites facing the racecourse itself, in-house restaurants and dining options, Soho Garden, beach clubs, Toy Room — the list is endless! Meydan Hotel accommodation world cup packages from Dubai are often offered by all tourist ventures dealing with flights and hotel bookings. 

Most hotels will give you world cup packages from Dubai with added benefits like exclusive racing break drink invitations, upgrades on race viewing tickets, etc. Another benefit comes from the location of the hotel. As it is located right beside the racecourse, there will be no travel time applicable either. 

Aloft Palm Jumeirah

While this gem is located about 30 minutes away from the Meydan racecourse, it still retains the status of being one of the best accommodation options for the Dubai World Cup horse race. Aloft Palm Jumeirah is located on the eastern side of the renowned Palm Islands of Dubai. 

If you want to explore more than just the Dubai World Cup in Dubai, Aloft Palm Jumeirah provides the perfect escape to many other wonders of the Emirates. Besides having a first-class access to the beach, you will also have full access to a private beach bar of the hotel, pool bar, and a rooftop bar that overlooks the Burj Al Arab. Overall, there are 7 different restaurants and bars on-site at the hotel. 

Notably, if you book world cup packages from Dubai, you will probably get additional benefits like transfers to the racecourse, invitations to exclusive events, and viewing ticket upgrades.  

JW Marriott Marquis

Offering a gorgeous view of the Dubai skyline, the JW Marriot Marquis in Dubai is another excellent accommodation option that you can consider. Premium suites, 15 on-site restaurants, and the hotel’s downtown location are just some of the many things that make this place a perfect fit for your Dubai World Cup visit. 

Just like other options in this list, you may be able to get upgrades on your race viewing tickets, transfers to the racecourse, and invitations to exclusive parties. However, these additional benefits may either come with an added fee or when you book through a travel agency. 

The Canvas Hotel

The Canvas Hotel is named to pay homage to Dubai as a blank canvas featuring a stable platform for constant growth. The Canvas Hotel, just like other plausible venues you can explore for Dubai World Cup, offers specialised world cup packages from Dubai in partnership with a travel booking venture. 

In addition to enjoying the race, you can also explore the beautiful Arab heritage scattered all across the nearby area. There are souk markets, Etihad Museum, and several other noteworthy entities available for an exploration tour. You may add some extras in the mix as well, with upgrades like sky Bubble Hospitality making for some great examples.

Tickets for Dubai World Cup

Tickets for the Dubai World Cup horse race and other races can be bought from the official website of the Dubai World Cup or the tickets office located in the Meydan Racecourse. You will have a choice of venue when booking the tickets. Given below is a detailed description of the ticket price for the most preferred watching spots of the Dubai World Cup. From Cigar Suite to Winner’s Circle Restaurant, all kinds of Dubai World Cup specialised services and benefits can be added to the world cup packages from Dubai with the stay option. 

General Access Ticket 

This ticket can be bought from the ticket sales office located near Gates B and C, with the ticket costing AED 50. The ticket holders can enter through Gate B only, although they have the option to participate in the Pick 6 prediction contest. 

Private Suits 

The private suites are located on 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 levels. Most suites can seat 10 to 500 people at a time, with several suites being able to connect to seat more people. Minimum 10 tickets shall be bought at one go, with the set costing AED 4,900. 2 parking accesses come with one set of 10 tickets. Some suites also come with 30 tickets and 7 parking accesses, 34 tickets and 7 parking accesses, and so on. 

The Gallery 

It is the perfect spot for viewing the opening ceremony of the Dubai World Cup horse race. However, its value goes way beyond that as it is also a great venue for family visits. It allows even children below 8 years, while dining for a babysitter is also offered here. 

Dubai World Cup FAQs