Meydan Racecourse is a
racecourse in
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics ...
,
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at ...
. The grandstand is over a mile in length, and can accommodate over 60,000 spectators.
Meydan opened on 27 March 2010,
replacing
Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, which formerly occupied the same site. It includes a
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million ...
racing
museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical
History (derived ) is the systematic study and th ...
, gallery and five-star hotel and nine-hole
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...
course. When not in use for racing it serves as a
business and conference centre. The track's interior was also used as a filming location for the film ''
Star Trek Beyond'', depicting the docking bay where the
USS ''Enterprise'' is moored, including the bar scene during the film's climax which contains a ship construction bay.
The Meydan grandstand
The Meydan Racecourse includes Meydan Marina, The Meydan, the world's first five-star trackside hotel with 285 rooms, two race tracks and the Grandstand, which consists of a
hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
,
restaurants
A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearance ...
, a racing
museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical
History (derived ) is the systematic study and th ...
and 72 corporate suites for entertaining throughout the year. It has a 2,400 m left-handed turf
race track
A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also ...
and a left-handed 8.75-furlong (1,750 m) dirt
course. It operates from November through March and features the Winter Racing Challenge, Dubai International Racing Carnival and the
Dubai World Cup Night. The Dubai World Cup is the world's richest race day with over US$26.25 million in prize money.
The Racecourse district occupies 67 million ft² (620 ha); the overall
Meydan City development however is 200 million ft² (1,900 ha). It is divided into four sub-districts: Meydan Racecourse, Meydan Metropolis, Meydan Horizons, and Meydan Godolphin Parks. Meydan is closely affiliated with
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, links=no; ; born 15 July 1949) is the vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as the ruler of Dubai. H ...
, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
performed there on 10 September 2014 as part of her world tour,
ArtRave: The Artpop Ball, in support of her third studio album
ARTPOP. The racecourse has also hosted concerts by
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
,
Santana,
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
,
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
and
Sia.
Major Thoroughbred races
*
Dubai World Cup
*
Dubai Golden Shaheen
*
Dubai Sheema Classic
*
Dubai Turf
*
Godolphin Mile
*
Jebel Hatta
The Jebel Hatta is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually since 2000 at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Raced on turf, it is open to horses four-years-old and up who were bred in the Northern Hemisphere and to horses three-yea ...
See also
*
Nad Al Sheba Racecourse
References
{{reflist
External links
Meydan RacecourseDubai Racing Club
Horse racing venues in the United Arab Emirates
Sports venues completed in 2010
Sports venues in Dubai
2010 establishments in the United Arab Emirates