On December 10, 1998, the UAE cemented its growing commitment to the sport of endurance horse racing in the most spectacular fashion — hosting the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) World Endurance Championship.
Centred on Ghantoot Racing Club, with 162 riders from 37 countries competing, the event set a Guinness World Record for the largest number of participants at an official world championship event.
The event was made all the more remarkable by how young the sport was in the UAE at the time — having only been introduced to the country by the UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, in 1992. However, it was a natural fit for a people who had, for millennia, cherished horse-riding not only as a sport and passion, but a way of life; with horses and camels not just a means of transport, but an extension of the rider.
The UAE’s first two endurance marathons, open to camels and horses, were held in January 1993 and March 1994 — with the first horse-only race, Al Asayl Endurance Race, setting the blueprint for things to come in December 1994. That year, Sheikh Zayed set up the Presidents Cup for Arabian horses, helping to raise the breed’s international profile in the years since.
On February 25, 1998, the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation organised its first CEI-A 160km ride, which was won by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai — who was Crown Prince of Dubai and Minister of Defence at the time. Fans of the sport were looking forward to December, as the UAE geared up to host its first international endurance race.
The FEI World Equestrian Games were originally scheduled to take place in Dublin, Ireland. Discussing the planning for such an elaborate enterprise, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, said: "Three years is insufficient for any federation to put together the very large and sophisticated organisation that is needed to manage such an event.”
Ireland fell victim to organisational issues, and despite a £2 million rescue package from Nissan, was forced to hand over the duty to Rome — with the endurance race going to Dubai.
The fact that the UAE, a country where formal endurance racing had existed for only six years, was able to arrange a competition at all was a marvel. That it was able to surpass all previous events was nothing short of miraculous.
In December, competitors from across the world flocked to Dubai’s Jazira Beach Hotel, just five minutes from the stabling venue. From there, they dispersed to a network of hotels supporting the event. The competition marked the first time time control was fully computerised, with riders using plastic swipe cards to register their arrivals at each stage of the ride.
The website Endurance.net has preserved some of the memories of those who were there. Monika Smith, a member of Team Canada, said the UAE deserved a “big round of applause” for hosting a “fabulous event” at such short notice.
At a time when Dubai was still emerging on to the global stage, she was pleasantly surprised by the familiarity of the city’s malls, and overwhelmed by the country’s courtesy. Smith added: “I didn't see any graffiti, suffered no harrassment, no loose dogs. As a single woman, this was a city I felt safe in.”
On the way to the stadium, she described scenes of excitement, as groups of Emiratis drove past, their cars adorned with UAE flags, honking horns, laughing and waving. “And we waved and yelled back; what a welcome!”
She recalled the “thrilling” finish to the race: “To see Valerie Kanavy come galloping in flat out, closely followed by a very determined Italian [Fausto Fiorucci] and a 'dark-horse' Japanese competitor [Daisuke Yasunaga] a couple of minutes later was amazing. Twenty minutes later, two UAE competitors raced in together — doing their country proud. What a finish!” Among the two Emiratis was Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and future endurance champion. Of the record 162 participants, only 78 completed the 160km ride.
A 2000 issue of Aramco World included a quote from the winner, Kanavy, who described the joy of riding in the UAE’s desert landscapes: “I think that when people dream about horses, about riding them, what they dream about is something like this — this feeling of freedom, of wide-open spaces."
Heidi Smith, from Oregon, called Ghantoot Race Course, where the horses were stabled, “an absolutely phenomenal facility”. She said: “To make the quarantine situation more workable, North American horses were housed in one area, South Americans in another area, Europeans in another area, and so forth.
"If someone from Europe had a North American horse leased, or some other combination, that person became a bit of an orphan as his or her horse would be housed in the barn from its own continent, and had to vet in with them.”
Watching the closing ceremony, she said she was “about ready to deck the next American who said anything about civilisation only arriving recently in the desert”, adding “these cultures had irrigation systems, lighted streets, and codes of law when my European ancestors were still wearing skins and trying to keep the fire lighted in the cave in the winter”.
Deemed a roaring success, the event marked a major milestone in the country’s sprint to the front of the pack — running alongside the Dubai World Cup.
Since then, Emirati riders have risen to the forefront of the sport. In 2004, when the UAE hosted the FEI championships again, Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, deputy chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, took to the podium with the winner, Barbara Lissarague of France. Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Hazza made the podium again when Dubai hosted the event in 2005.
Having previously won the 2001 Al Ahram International Endurance Championship in Egypt, in 2012 Sheikh Mohammed won the individual gold medal at the World Endurance Championships in the UK. With Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum and Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri in second and third respectively, the UAE took all three top medals.
It followed successive UAE wins in 2008 and 2010. "The weather could have been worse, but God was kind and gave us some good conditions in which to race," Sheikh Mohammed told Dubai Racing after the win. "This feels great." Meanwhile, Sheikh Hamdan also won gold at the 2014 Altech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy.
Next year the UAE is scheduled to host the Endurance World Championship again, at Butheeb International Endurance Village, which is renowned for its state-of-the-art facilities, veterinary staff and laboratory technicians.
Remarking on the decision to award the championship to Butheeb, FEI President Ingmar De Vos said: “The FEI Board was impressed with the world-class permanent infrastructure and facilities offered by the BIEV and the proven ability of the organisers to guarantee all the logistical organisation for our human and equine athletes in a short period of time.”
Although today the UAE has repeatedly proved its ability to host endurance events on the highest level, in 1998 things were not so certain. However, shortly after the event, Marcy Pavord from England told Endurance.net: “It was an incredible event and I think we'll all be talking about it for a long time to come.” As the country prepares to host yet another championship, it appears she was correct.
Scroll through images of Sheikh Mohammed winning the 2001 Al Ahram International Endurance Championship below
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Company%20profile
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THE SPECS
Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 518bhp
Torque: 625Nm
Speed: 0-100kmh 5.3 seconds
Price: Dh633,435
On sale: now
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars
Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
PSG's line up
GK: Alphonse Areola (youth academy)
Defence - RB: Dani Alves (free transfer); CB: Marquinhos (€31.4 million); CB: Thiago Silva (€42m); LB: Layvin Kurzawa (€23m)
Midfield - Angel di Maria (€47m); Adrien Rabiot (youth academy); Marco Verratti (€12m)
Forwards - Neymar (€222m); Edinson Cavani (€63m); Kylian Mbappe (initial: loan; to buy: €180m)
Total cost: €440.4m (€620.4m if Mbappe makes permanent move)
Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Company%20Profile
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Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Manchester United v Young Boys, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
