The Dubai World Cup is an annual thoroughbred horse race that has been taking place since 1996 initially held at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse while currently ran at Meydan Racecourse in the Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This race is operated by the Emirates Racing Authority and consists of nine races, including eight Thoroughbred contests and one Purebred Arabian contest.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who owns Darley Stud & Godolphin Racing, created the Dubai World Cup in 1996. The race takes place annually on the last Saturday in March as part of the Dubai World Cup Night of races. Since 2019, the race has had a purse of $12 million, making it one of the world's richest horse races. It is a Group 1 flat race on dirt for Northern Hemisphere Thoroughbred four-year-olds and up, and Southern Hemisphere Thoroughbred three-year-olds and up, run over a distance of 2,000 meters.
The first winner of the race was Cigar, a future United States Hall of Fame Thoroughbred owned by Allen E. Paulson. A plaque honoring Cigar hangs outside the barn of Bill Mott at Belmont Park.
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