A Night at the Races in Dubai

Enjoy a night out at the races and watch exciting horse and camel racing in Dubai

Despite gambling being illegal in Dubai, horse racing and its more traditional cousin camel racing are both enormously popular. Meetings at the Nad Al Sheba stadium and at Jebel Ali Race Course regularly attract tens of thousands of spectators, and offer an enjoyable evening out.

You can buy lottery tickets to predict the winners (it isn't gambling…), and win prizes that include cars and bags of gold!

The biggest horse race of the year is the Dubai Gold Cup - actually the richest horse race in the whole world. It attracts visitors and competitors from all over the world, and is regarded as one of the most prestigious events in the horseracing calendar.

Camel racing has changed beyond recognition in the last few years. The child jockeys have been replaced with little robot riders, but none of the excitement has gone. Seeing the camels running at full tilt along a sand course is a thrilling sight, and makes for a memorable evening.

Camel racing has a vital place at the heart of Arabian culture, and has carried on in traditional style for hundreds of years - the only thing that has really changed is the size of the prizes for the winning animal and trainer, which are enormous!