Twenty officials will form four panels for discussion at the upcoming first Arabian horse racing conference in Abu Dhabi.

The Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Flat Racing Festival in association with Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (Adach), International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (Ifahr) and Emirates Arabian Horse Society (EAHS) have announced the first World Arabian Horse Racing Conference in Abu Dhabi from September 23 to 25.

Officials of the Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival, Ifahr and EAHS met recently at the Renaissance Hotel in Amsterdam to chalk out details of the conference.

“We have drawn a list of personalities and will finalise a list of 20 once we have their confirmations,” said Sami Jassim Al Bunain, Ifahr chairman.

“These officials will then constitute four different panels which as of now are broadly divided into cultural and historical aspect, breeding, racing and training of Arabian racehorses and future of Arabian racing.”

The three-day event will be held on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2010 in co-ordination with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

“The response from around the world has been very encouraging,” said Mats Genberg, Ifahr secretary.

“We expect between 60 to a 100 experts from various fields to take part in the panel discussions and this will possible be the richest assembly experts who have Arabian racing in their heart,” Genberg added.

Ifahr vice chairman Mohammed Essa Al Adhab said: “The UAE leaders have always supported Arabian horse racing and this conference initiated by Sheikh Mansoor will help in collecting a lot of ideas on promoting Arabian horse racing and also help in finding solutions.”

Essam Abdulla, director general of EAHS said: “We are keen to focus on the breeding aspect and its related subjects and have much to offer and exchange expertise with others in the conference.”

“From the Festival’s side I would like to announce that one of our sponsors Invest AD is supporting our move to create the first ever free-to-download application connected with Purebred Arabian racing,” said Lara Sawaya, director of Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Flat Racing Festival.

“Starting with the Festival’s race series and the Wathba Stud Farm supported races, a lot of useful and important data concerning the horses will be easily available.”

“This will be an I-pad and I-phone application and with over three million I-pads already sold, will be free to down load and use. It will be unveiled during the conference and Sheikh Mansoor will ‘touch-start’ the endeavour,” Sawaya said. – TradeArabia News Service