Latest news with #DubaiFuture
Khaleej Times
13-04-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Changing of the guard as De Sousa ends O'Shea's 12-year reign in UAE racing
As the curtain fell on another electrifying UAE racing season, it was Silvestre de Sousa who stood tall etching his name into local racing folklore by clinching his first UAE Jockeys' Championship. And he — the Brazilian-born, British-based rider — did it in emphatic style, ending the remarkable 12-year reign of champion jockey Tadhg O'Shea in a gripping title race that went down to the wire. De Sousa finished the season with 54 wins, seven clear of O'Shea, sealing the deal in the final stretch of the campaign. It was his dominant ride aboard Dubai Future in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup at the glittering Dubai World Cup meeting that all but wrapped things up, giving him a decisive edge heading into the final meetings at Al Ain and Abu Dhabi. 'I'm just delighted with the kind of season I've had,' De Sousa said. 'To be the leading rider in my first full season in the UAE means a lot. It's never easy — especially here in the UAE where it is ultra-competitive. But I had incredible support from the boss (Musabbeh Al Mheiri) and the Yas Racing team. I'm really grateful.' It was a season of comebacks and crowning moments. For Emirati trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri, it was a return to glory. A decade after his first title in the 2014–15 season, the 64-year-old veteran rolled back the years to take home his second UAE Trainers' Championship with 40 winners. He edged out Jebel Ali Stables handler Michael Costa (38) who had to settle for second place for the second successive year despite an epic season and former three-time Champion handler Ernst Oertel (36) in one of the most hotly contested battles in recent memory. 'It was a very competitive season, more competitive than the first time I won, I think,' said Al Mheiri. 'There are so many good trainers and talented horses around now. To finish on top again after all these years — it's really special.' Al Mheiri, who as a youngster rode bareback races on the beaches of Ajman, never imagined a future like this. Just last year, he saddled his 500th winner, and this year he stood head and shoulders above his rivals. On the ownership front, the powerhouse that is Yas Racing — under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice-President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, — clinched the coveted Owners' Championship. Their Purebred Arabian operation was as formidable as ever, with De Sousa often the man guiding their contenders to the winner's circle. For De Sousa, 44, it's another chapter in an extraordinary global journey. A three-time British champion jockey and winner of the 2014 Dubai World Cup aboard African Story for Saeed bin Suroor and Godolphin, the Brazilian's UAE story has been long in the making. He first rode here two decades ago, but only now, after committing to a full campaign, has he claimed the top spot. 'I've been coming here for years,' he said. 'But this time felt different. I had strong partnerships and the hunger to push all the way. Riding for Musabbeh and Yas Racing gave me a real platform, and winning again in Godolphin blue on World Cup night — that was the cherry on top.' And as the 2024-2025 UAE racing season wrapped with fireworks over Abu Dhabi and the echoes of cheering fans still lingering at Meydan where it hosted the 29th running of the Dubai World Cup, it was clear: the UAE racing scene had delivered yet another unforgettable chapter. Final Standings UAE Trainers' Championship 2024-25: Rank / Trainer Wins Prize Money (AED) 1 Musabbeh Al Mheiri 40 6,279,020 2 Michael Costa 38 6,853,810 3 Ernst Oertel 36 2,586,080 4 Bhupat Seemar 33 15,038,690 UAE Jockeys' Championship 2024-25 Rank / Jockey Wins Prize Money (AED) 1 Silvestre De Sousa 53 9,665,280 2 Tadhg O'Shea 46 11,201,530 3 Connor Beasley 43 18,264,680 4 Sandro Paiva 27 1,907,780 5 Ray Dawson 26 5,686,980.
Khaleej Times
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Dubai World Cup: Saeed bin Suroor's Dubai Future earns memorable win
Legendary Emirati trainer Saeed bin Suroor was back on the podium as Dubai Future produced a stunning finish to win the $1 million Dubai Gold Cup at the Dubai World Cup on Saturday. Ridden by Silvestre De Sousa, Dubai Future came from behind with strong run at the home stretch to win the longest race on the Dubai World Cup night at Meydan. Remarkably, De Sousa and Bin Suroor had earlier won this race together with Cavalry Man in 2013. Double Major finished second while Epic Poet took the third place. Earlier First Classs won the $1 million Dubai Kahayla Classic, a Group One dirt race, as the 29th Dubai World Cup got under way at Meydan on Saturday. Ridden by Connor Beasley, the 2022 champion stayed strong and finished the race in style ahead of defending champion. First Classs became only the third horse after Madjani and Unchained Melody to win the Dubai Kahayla Classic more than once. Long before the start of the first race, the grandstand at the magnificent racecourse was buzzing with excitement at the $30.5 million event, one of the richest race nights in the world. The highlight of today's nine-race card is the $12 million Dubai World Cup which will see 11 thoroughbreds vying for glory on the dirt. Japanese sensation Forever Young, who delivered a stunning run to win the $20 million Saudi Cup early this year, is the overwhelming favourite tonight at Meydan. But don't write off Bhupat Seemar's chances of finding a place in the pantheon of racing immortals. Having guided Laurel River to victory last year, the Dubai-based Indian trainer is pinning his hopes on Walk of Stars and Imperial Emperor, two formidable equine athletes, to land him another Dubai World Cup trophy.
Khaleej Times
10-03-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Khalfan Belhoul on Dubai's Future: AI, Innovation, and the Vision Behind the Museum of the Future
HE Khalfan Belhoul grew up dreaming of becoming a footballer, holding the World Cup, but it was not his path. The young futurist who credits sport with teaching him skills such as team work and leadership, is just 46-years-old, and is now the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), which was established in 2017. 'I remember how this [Dubai Future] foundation was formed and it shows you how visionary Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid is', he said. At the World Government Summit, there was a small setup known as 'the Museum of the Future' at the time, made up of a few people from the Prime Minister's office, with the idea of discussing challenges of the future, food, robotics, and AI. 'It took his highness one visit and the message was, this conversation should not be confined to a set group of people, we need to spread it to the world,' HE Belhoul said. And so the seeds of the institution were planted. 'We couldn't benchmark around the world as this was something new,' but he and the team were given free reins to build it and today, the museum sells out daily at least a month in advance. While the UAE has been the first country to have a dedicated Minister of AI, the future is still human, said HE Belhoul, who says talent is the way of the future as the UAE continues to attract some of the world's best minds across multiple sectors. 'Everything is driven by human capital, because human capital will be coming up with those great ideas,' he said, in spite of the fact that AI is playing a key role in the UAE's strategy. The DFF Is currently investing heavily in understanding the needs and mega-trends of the future. The annual Dubai Future Forum is a key part of that where the world's best thinkers come from around the world bringing ideas which seem like science fiction and turning them into reality. And the museum is no different. Its curators are constantly challenged to visualise a future which is beyond our imaginations. 'We have jokes when we speak about conventional museums, which are amazing, whether we talk about the Louvre in Abu Dhabi or many other museums, fantastic museums. But I always say, jokingly, with different museum owners, that the experiences in those museums appreciate with time, [and so] they don't have as big as the challenges we do,' he said. 'So whatever is worth X today in a conventional museum appreciates in time, because it gets older, so it becomes more valuable. In a futuristic museum, whatever is futuristic today can become obsolete in two or three weeks or months so we need to constantly become future relevant.' The iconic structure which has become one of the country's most photographed piece of architecture, 'it became like a box ticker in Dubai', with more than 4,000 visitors on a daily basis. 'A connection between our foresight and where the future is going,' he explained. Keeping the museum relevant is critical to its survival. 'We are looking at the next phase of the museum to make sure the content is always future relevant,' he said, as curators constantly balance the long-term future and near future aspects of the interactive exhibition. But as HE Belhoul weighs the future, he also acknowledges that the future can also evoke fears for many, with the infiltration of the likes of AI and robots into our lives. Visualising the UAE in 50 years' time, he told Khaleej Times automation is the way forward. 'You'll definitely see more robots. You'll definitely see more drones. You'll definitely see more autonomous mobility. Fifty years from now, that is for sure, you'll see a lot of automation happening,' he said. However, while many may be afraid, the input of human capital will be as relevant as ever. 'For me, the message is always that history has proven that humanity will always adapt and prevail. The only thing now is that this change is just much bigger and faster, and that's why people are maybe a bit concerned. 'And the notion of AI and robots maybe instills this fear in them … If you look at an aircraft and you speak to someone 100 years before the invention of an aircraft, and you tell them, listen, you'll be 30,000 feet above ground, they would think you're crazy. I still think it's crazy.' No matter what the future holds, the young futurist says that it will all be 'a natural adaptation process … and it's only the beginning'.
