2.4 billion dirhams in prizes for the “Dubai World Cup” evening in 30 editions

The history of the Dubai World Cup, the most powerful evening in horse racing in the world, which celebrates the launch of its 30th edition tomorrow, Saturday at the Meydan Racecourse, is filled with large financial prizes, the total of which from the first edition in 1996 until 2026 reached about $662 million (equivalent to 2.4 billion dirhams), including $251 million (992 million dirhams) allocated to the horses that won the ninth round. And President of the Dubai World Cup.

The financial prizes constitute a fundamental pillar that confirms the strength and elegance of the races included in the evening, in an event that has succeeded, since its inception, in attracting the strongest horses on the international scene. This is confirmed by the current version, which includes six races classified within the first category “Group 1” races, the highest global classification, along with four accompanying races classified within the second category races, “Group 2.”

Although the first edition of the Dubai World Cup in 1996 was limited to a total of $4.7 million in prizes, the evening’s successes and Dubai’s prestigious status as a global center for horse racing, in addition to the Meydan Racecourse, a modern architectural masterpiece, laid the foundation for an increase in the number of runs, which in turn was accompanied by an increase in the total financial prizes.

The reasons for the increase in prizes are due to several factors, including the increase in races in attracting elite horses annually on the international scene, which in turn was reflected in the evening’s ranking among the top 100 global races according to the International Equestrian Federation.