United Arab Emirates

Greyhound racing in the United Arab Emirates takes place on the outskirts of Dubai. Races are held on a straight sand track with a distance of 1200m. Saluki races are also conducted, but the two breeds race in separate events. In some cases, races are also broken down by the dogs' gender. Veterinarians are present at the racecourse and they conduct brief, random health checks at the finish line.1

The greyhounds racing in Dubai are both bred in country and being imported from other countries. There is one breeding kennel named Desert Greyhounds located in Dubai.2 A greyhound named Kelsos Guardian raced in Florida and Arkansas before being sold to Dubai for $183,000 sometime in 2012 or 2013.3 As of March 2013, Kelsos Guardian was racing in Dubai.4

According to the Arabian Sauki Center of Dubai, there is no prize money involved with greyhound racing. However, news reports indicate there is prize money for saluki races.5 All forms of gambling, including on dog races, is illegal in the United Arab Emirates.6

  1. Arabian Saluki Center of Dubai, Facebook.
  2. "Desert Greyhounds," Greyhound Data, greyhound-data.com (accessed August 22, 2014).
  3. "Potential Broods for Sale," The National Greyhound Association, 2014.
  4. Arabian Saluki Center of Dubai, Facebook.
  5. Miranda Smith, "Into the desert for dog racing, UAE style," Dubai Media Inc, December 21, 2010, emirates247.com (accessed August 22, 2014).
  6. Salam Al Amir, "Strict laws against gambling in the UAE," Gulf News, January 23, 2010, gulfnews.com (accessed August 22, 2014).

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