DWC Horserace mrks its 25th anniversary amid the pandemic

Published on : Friday, March 5, 2021

Dubai World Cup Horserace marks its 25th anniversary this month; however, instead of the characteristic glamorous event, this year’s horserace will be a relatively subdued affair due to the ongoing corona cases.

The horserace event is heavily dependent on tourism, and given how heavily affected by corona virus the hospitality industry has been, and complete recovery not expected before 2022, domestic tourism is expected to attract majority of traffic for this year’s race.

In the years before, the final event of the thoroughbred horserace attracted more than 40,000 visitors from around the world. However, just a little over 600 are expected to attend this year’s World Cup on March 27, said Mohamed Shawky, the hotel manager of The Meydan Hotel, which is a part of the Meydan racecourse where the races are held.

In 2020, the DWC was canceled four days before the event as the pandemic was just beginning in the UAE.

The DWC is a highly anticipated event in horseracing, with international and regional visitors coming down to Dubai to attend every year, said Shawky. Things have changed this year, and due to travel restrictions, demand will mainly be local and residents-based according to Shawky.

The Meydan has taken several measures for curbing the spread of the virus and ensuring visitor safety during the Dubai World Cup, said Shawky.