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Emirates celebrates 20-year association with Dubai World Cup

Emirates has been associated with the Dubai World Cup since the race was inaugurated in 1996, and the airline traditionally marks the opening meeting of the Meydan season by sponsoring the first card at the track.

Jockey Silvestre De Sousa guides African Story to victory in the Dubai World Cup on March 29, 2014. AFP file

Dubai: The first race of the 20th Dubai World Cup anniversary season gets underway on Thursday, November 6 under the sponsorship of longtime Meydan Pillar Partner, Emirates.

Emirates has been associated with the Dubai World Cup since the race was inaugurated in 1996, and the airline traditionally marks the opening meeting of the Meydan season by sponsoring the first card at the iconic track.

Emirates, a well-known supporter of horse racing in the UAE and abroad, also sponsors Super Saturday on March 7, 2015 and will be back at the track for the 20th running of the $10m Dubai World Cup on Saturday, March 28, 2015.

The new dirt track at Meydan will be used for the first time, with all six of Thursday’s Thoroughbred races taking place on the recently-installed surface.

The meeting is highlighted by two Emirates Airline Handicaps, both worth Dh120,000. The first is a benchmark 95 contest over 1400m while the second is a 100 race and run over 1900m.

“Emirates has a long and successful history of supporting horseracing which goes back over 20 years. We are the proud partner of the internationally renowned Godolphin Stable, which has produced some of the world’s highest calibre horses and jockeys. We sponsor various races across the globe including the Melbourne Cup, The Emirates Singapore Derby and of course the Dubai World Cup,” said Shaikh Majid Al Mualla, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations.

“Supporting events, such as the Dubai World Cup, is very important to us as it helps to promote Dubai as a premier sporting, business and tourism destination. We have no doubt that the success of previous years will be repeated as we head into another exciting Meydan racing season.”

Chairman of the Meydan Racing Committee, Malih Al Basti said: “The 20th season of the Dubai World Cup is a significant event, not only for the Meydan Group and Dubai Racing Club, but also for Dubai as a whole and the wider racing world. Emirates has been a partner of the Dubai World Cup since the 1996 beginnings of this famous race and it is with great pleasure that we welcome the airline back to our track for the start of this landmark season, 20 years later.

“We are very proud of our connection with this iconic Dubai brand and look forward to working with Emirates during our special anniversary season.”

Since the first flight took to the air in 1985, Emirates has become one of the fastest-growing international airlines in the world. Based in Dubai, it operates a young, state-of-the-art fleet and has earned a reputation for innovation and top-quality service, winning more than 500 international awards for excellence