United Arab Emirates, Dubai – September 17, 2014 – The Ministry of Environment and Water and Emirates Racing Authority, the UAE’s regulatory racing body, has announced Dubai’s hosting of the OIE Regional Conference on International Competition Horse Movement from September 29 till the 1st of October, 2014 at The Meydan Hotel. The event, which is the first of its kind in the MENA region, will be held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidency Affairs and chairman of Emirates Racing Authority. The conference will bring together horsing experts from all over the world.
During a press conference held to announce the event, the Ministry assured its active participation in the course of the event as part of its jurisdiction to protect the welfare of the Emirates and its citizens and residents. The ministry said it will closely supervise animal shipments in and out of the UAE to ensure that they are free of pests and illnesses. It will also monitor the containment and prevention of diseases as well as implement relevant laws and regulations governing animal shipments with an end goal of reducing any health, economic and moral risk. The ministry has been initiating various activities and projects in line with its duty to protect the country from unexpected outbreaks of epidemic diseases and other animal health-related risks.
The OIE, the world organisation for animal health, is working with the international horse sport governing body, the FEI, to promote global protocols ensuring best practice is adhered to while equine athletes’ transit between countries.
His Excellency Eng. Saif Al Shara, Assistant Undersecretary of Agricultural affairs and Animal Sector, Ministry of Environment and Water, Dr. Ghazi Yehia, OIE Regional Representative in the Middle East, and Malih Lahej Al Basti, Chairman of the Steering Committee for the Emirates Racing Authority (ERA) attended the press conference to give the full details of the event.
Issues on the agenda during the three-day conference include the equine health status in the MENA region, quarantine protocols and OIE standards in relation to horse movement, in addition to organizing workshops held during the conference will address issues and challenges facing the industry as well as ways to capitalize on emerging opportunities.
H.E. Eng. Saif Al Shara, Assistant Undersecretary of Agricultural affairs and Animal Sector, Ministry of Environment and Water said: “The choice of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to hold this conference in the United Arab Emirates can be attributed to the success achieved by the State in the field of horse racing, like the Dubai World Cup Horse Race and the many international conferences, meetings and the advanced infrastructure and modern technical facilities and transmission lines connecting the East and West.”
“The representatives of the participating countries will highlight the procedures for the quarantine applied in their countries aligned with the standards of the World Organization for Animal Health and standards adopted by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. The event will also see the discussion and development of solutions for the transport of horses from one country to another. There will be 90 participants representing 30 countries and organizations in the conference, including representatives from USA, France, Ireland and Australia, the GCC and Egypt. The Equestrian Federation and local equestrian clubs and horse owners will be represented as well to bring the total to more than 150 participants.”
Malih Lahej Al Basti, Chairman of the Emirates Racing Authority Steering Committee said: “While this conference is a first for the MENA area, the practice of moving sport horses from this region to and from centers of equine competition is well established. Our international flat racing season is globally renowned and the vast majority of horses competing at Meydan Racecourse have been shipped in from foreign countries. This region is also very active in the world of endurance riding.”
Al Basti added: “We also nurture a growing showjumping and dressage community, all of which means ever-increasing numbers of equine athletes take to the skies. Promoting horse health and best-practice in the midst of this rapidly-expanding industry is of prime importance.”
Dr. Ghazi Yahya, OIE Regional Representative in the Middle East said: “As the world organisation for animal health, our priority is the need to impress on both the air transport industry and the equine industry the need for a consistent global approach to best welfare standards for horse transport by air. This conference brings together world experts in order to better understand the challenges, issues and opportunities surrounding the movement of competition horses. This event to be held in Dubai, UAE is considered a success factor based on the experience that the country has accumulated in the management and organization of international events, particularly related to horses.”