Almoe AV Systems has installed more than 4,500 Electro-Voice speakers in Dubai’s Meydan Racecourse and Hotel complex. Meydan City is the latest large-scale showcase project in the Arab Emirate of Dubai, and features a marina, five-star hotel complex, IMAX cinema and the Meydan Racecourse.

The Meydan racecourse is capable of accommodating more than 60,000 spectators at a time.  The construction required a huge audio-installation, including more than 4,500 Electro-Voice loudspeakers, fully redundant CobraNet infrastructure using the N8000 NetMax Digital Matrix Controllers and CPS multi-channel amps.

Dubai master developer Meydan will help build a $4bn ‘equine culture city’, according to the terms of a joint venture agreement signed on Wednesday.

The firm, which completed the world’s largest racecourse in the emirate earlier this year, will tie up with International Equine Group (IEG), itself made up a consortium of Meydan, Malaysia’s Teo A Khing Design Consultants and an agribusiness entity owned by the Chinese government.

The new consortium – called Hua Zhi Jie Horse Industries – will develop the Tianjin Equine Culture City, a 3.3m square metre site located in the north-eastern Chinese city.

The project will feature racetracks, training tracks and stables, as well as other equine facilities.

Hua Zhi Jie is hoping to stage a flat-racing event at the site “not dissimilar to the scale of the Dubai World Cup” as early as 2012.

“Meydan’s success since its launch and its continued growth potential makes it an excellent model to replicate in a burgeoning economy such as China’s,” said Saeed Humaid Al Tayer, chairman and CEO of Meydan.

“It is a significant partnership and we are very bullish about the growth prospects presented there. We hope to lend our expertise and extensive experience in positioning horse racing, so that it not only promotes the sport, but supports its related industries and provides viable economic returns to the people of China.”

In a statement, Meydan said that the potential for the horse-racing industry in China was considerable, especially given the direct economic impact of the sector on the economies of the US, the UK and Australia. The developer said that the industry was worth $39bn in the US alone. Meydan to help build Chinese ‘equine city’

Dubai developer signs JV deal to drive race industry development

Dubai master developer Meydan will help build a new ‘equine culture city’, according to the terms of a joint venture agreement signed on Wednesday.

The firm, which completed the world’s largest racecourse in the emirate earlier this year, will tie up with International Equine Group (IEG), itself made up a consortium of Meydan, Malaysia’s Teo A Khing Design Consultants and an agribusiness entity owned by the Chinese government.

The new consortium – called Hua Zhi Jie Horse Industries – will develop the Tianjin Equine Culture City, a 3.3m square metre site located in the north-eastern Chinese city.

The project will feature racetracks, training tracks and stables, as well as other equine facilities.

Hua Zhi Jie is hoping to stage a flat-racing event at the site “not dissimilar to the scale of the Dubai World Cup” as early as 2012.

“Meydan’s success since its launch and its continued growth potential makes it an excellent model to replicate in a burgeoning economy such as China’s,” said Saeed Humaid Al Tayer, chairman and CEO of Meydan

“It is a significant partnership and we are very bullish about the growth prospects presented there. We hope to lend our expertise and extensive experience in positioning horse racing, so that it not only promotes the sport, but supports its related industries and provides viable economic returns to the people of China.”

In a press statement, Meydan said that the potential for the horse-racing industry in China was considerable, especially given the direct economic impact of the sector on the economies of the US, the UK and Australia. The developer said that the industry was worth $39bn in the US alone.

SportsPro magazine has listed the World Games Stadium in Kaohsiung, Taiwan as the world’s most important sports venue. With a capacity of 55,000, the stadium features 8,844 solar panels, making it the largest solar panelled sports venue in the world.

The stadium, which was designed by Toyo Ito and completed in 2009, generates enough energy to supply 75% of its power needs during an event, and when not in use powers 80% of the surrounding area.

David Cushnan, editor of SportsPro said, “The World Games Stadium might not be the largest or most-used sports venue in the world, but there can be no doubt that, thanks to the environmentally friendly way it has been designed, it is amongst the most significant and could well be a model for the next generation of stadia.

That guaranteed it the number one spot, even against some of the most historic sports venues in the world – the likes of Fenway Park, Augusta, Lord’s and the Melbourne Cricket Ground – and some of the spectacular new facilities like Meydan, the Yas Marina circuit and Soccer City.”

The number of property and construction disputes heard at the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) more than doubled last year as the financial crisis took hold.

Most of the arbitration cases involved late or non-delivery of developments and contractors chasing compensation for cancelled projects or late payments from developers. Steve Crisp / Reuters

The centre handled 206 cases last year arising from the property and construction sectors, compared with 100 in 2008.

Of last year’s disputes, 126 were property-related and principally between large commercial investors and developers of overdue projects. The remaining 80 cases were from the construction sector.

DIAC’s workload is expected to increase further this year as the fallout from the financial crisis continues to be felt, said Fathi Kemicha, an executive committee member at DIAC, which is part of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “The latest indications are that it will not slow,” he said. “On the contrary, when you have a crisis, there are more disputes.”

Meanwhile, DIAC also handled 81 cases last year that revolved around “breaches in commercial contracts” across all sectors, while just five cases related to the insurance and shipping sectors.

Arbitration is a legal process in which disputes are resolved by a third party without recourse to litigation, which can be expensive and time-consuming.

“You don’t need to go to court if you have an enforcement of a decision from DIAC,” Mr Kemicha said. “The final award is final and that’s it.”

Most of the property disputes involved late or non-delivery of projects, while contractors were chasing compensation for cancelled projects or late payments from developers. Other cases involved subcontractors seeking payments from main contractors.

A slowdown in the emirate’s formerly thriving construction sector since the onset of the economic downturn has led to the rise in disputes.

About 240 projects have been cancelled or are indefinitely on hold in Dubai, according to Proleads, an industry auditing company based in the emirate.

A construction lawyer in Dubai, who asked not to be named, said most of the disputes were caused by a “lack of attention” to contract details when they were signed, mainly because developers and contractors were “caught up in the boom”.

One of the biggest cases to emerge last year was between Arabtec Holding, the UAE’s largest construction company, and Meydan Group, the developer behind the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.

Arabtec and its joint-venture partner, Malaysia’s WCT Engineering, are seeking Dh1.6bn (US$435.5 million) in compensation after a Dh4.77bn deal to build the recently opened racecourse was cancelled half-way through construction in January last year. Arbitration continues in the case.

Over the past year, DIAC has had to hire more legal experts to handle the backlog of cases and is seeking more experts, added Mr Kemicha. “We handle some huge cases and you need to have experienced arbitrators.”

Law firms have also seen a rise in demand for their services over the past year, although the number of construction-related cases has fallen slightly in recent months, said Philip Punwar, a partner at Fulbright and Jaworski in Dubai. “Things have settled down a bit,” he said.

“I think people have overcome the shock at the onset of the financial crisis and many have worked out some way forward for themselves. Companies are also reluctant to commit their resources to arbitration and hope they can reach an amicable solution.”

Meanwhile, he said, disputes between investors in property and developers of projects that are late currently make up the largest number of cases.

“It’s mainly for commercial property, say an investor who bought 15 units in a building that is way beyond schedule. But every now and then you will come across a case that might be about a single villa, for example.”

agiuffrida@thenational.ae

DUBAI // Like many young men entering adulthood, Saeed al Mazrooie was unsure of a career path.

Ahmed Ajtebi, at Meydan Racecourse, was the first Emirati jockey to emerge as an international star. Pawan Singh / The National

Then the 22-year-old Emirati worked it out for himself. He would become a jockey.

“I have always liked horses and have been following racing. I had a physique of a jockey and that’s what really inspired me to try my hands on this job,” said al Mazrooie, who weighs 47kg and stands 1.62 metres tall.

He knew that Ahmed Ajtebi, also an Emirati, had become an international racing star while riding for the powerful Godolphin stable.

Al Mazrooie took the step of dedicating himself to the sport.

After five months of training in the stables, the Emirates Racing Authority (ERA) has chosen him to travel to Ireland for four months to study at the Racing Academy Centre for Education, the institution from which Ajtebi emerged.

Yasir Mabrouk, the ERA official who oversees apprentice programs, believes al Mazrooie could be a star in the making.

“This is the path Ahmed [Ajtebi] took and I believe Saeed can be as successful as him if he stays focused on his own abilities and doesn’t start thinking out of the box,” Mabrouk said.

“So far, he has done well. He is ambitious, determined and is enjoying his work.”

Al Mazrooie, however, would prefer not to be known for travelling on a trail blazed by Ajtebi.

“When I am successful with my apprenticeship, I don’t want to be remembered as someone who followed in the footsteps of Ahmed,” he said during an interview at the Meydan Hotel. “I want to do my own thing and be successful with my own brand.”

He added: “Ahmed is the first Emirati jockey to have had a lot of success internationally, but it wasn’t his success that made me decide to take this path.”

Al Mazrooie’s real education in racing began in the Grand Stand stable with the menial jobs that mark the early days of most great riders, cleaning stalls and grooming horses.

His day starts as early as 5am. By 11am he has finished his first shift. The second begins at 4pm and continues until 7pm.

In five months under Ali Rashid al Raihe, the champion trainer at the Grand Stand Stables, al Mazrooie has displayed perseverance in working towards his goal.

He knows that is was al Raihe who also helped Ajtebi in his formative years before retaining him as his stable’s second jockey.

Al Raihe has been impressed with al Mazrooie. “He has gone through all the basic work from cleaning the muck from the stables to grooming the horses, which is the toughest part for a young Emirati these days.

“Otherwise, he possesses the right height and weight for a jockey and, more importantly, a strong mind.”

Al Mazrooie treats the Emirati trainer as a father figure who has taught him many important methods for taking care of horses.

Royston Ffrench, the stable jockey, has also been a mentor to al Mazrooie, taking it upon himself to impart riding tips which should help the youngster pursue a career.

Mabrouk said Ajtebi has laid out the path for Emiratis to follow if they wish to become jockeys. Three others have attempted it, but they failed to progress beyond their apprenticeship.

“The jockeys have to be conscious of their weight and they need to be up early to work on the horses,” Mabrouk said. “Besides, Ahmed had no one to look up to. Everything he did was for the first time and his success can’t be measured in terms of the regular schooling.

“He came from a humble background and remains the humble guy whom I knew for more than seven years.”

Ajtebi, 29, never fails to mention Mabrouk’s role during his formative years as a jockey.

Ajtebi rode into history by becoming the first Emirati to ride a winner at Royal Ascot when he steered Regal Parade to victory for the trainer Dandy Nicholls in 2008.

Last year, he rode a Group One double at the Dubai World Cup meeting on Gladiatorus and Eastern Anthem, and later claimed the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Stakes at Santa Anita, California, on Vale of York.

Al Mazrooie may travel in the same circles some day. But first he must get his apprentice licence.

When he comes home to Dubai from Ireland, he will return to Grand Stand Stables, and al Raihe could nominate him as an apprentice, subject to ERA approval.

Al Mazrooie expects to be riding at tracks in the UAE before the year is out, on his way to becoming the second professional Emirati jockey in the nation.

Said al Mazrooie: “I am confident I can be riding this season.”

apassela@thenational.ae

Dubai-based conglomerate Meydan Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese firm Guangsha Middle East Construction for the construction and development of the first phase of the Meydan Metropolis Business Park.

The Business Park is the latest aspect of the Meydan project

Located within the freezone of Meydan City, a 60.96million square metre site that includes the Meydan Grandstand and racecourse, the deal is the second collaboration for the two companies and is a milestone for the ambitious project, which intends to mix sporting facilities with business and entertainment.

The contract includes 16 commercial buildings for office and retail outlets and will include near to 3,000 car park spaces. It has been designed by Malaysian architects TAK Design Consultants. Several of the office buildings have been pre-sold to Emirates NBD and Amlak Finance, according to the company.

“The objective is to be the leader in the market,” said Meydan chairman and CEO Saeed Humaid Al Tayor at a press conference earlier today. “This project has seen big capital, and we’ve had people knocking on the door looking to relocate here.”

He said the company has between 65-70 investors. “We’ve had partnerships with banks for the last three years, and so far we are satisfied with the relationships,” he said.

Guangsha Middle East – part of Guangsha Holding Venture Group, a diverse conglomerate with interests in energy, tourism and media among other sectors – had previously provided the Falcon car park and facilities in the complex.

Lou Zhong Fu, chairman of Guangsha Holding Venture Capital Group, said: “It is a pivotal component of the urban plan for Meydan City and allows us to further showcase our construction prowess and also strengthen our ongoing partnership with Meydan.”

Asked if Meydan would scale down some of its project plans in the midst of a prolonged economic slump and a slower construction market, Al Tayor said: “It’s only wise to sit down and reassess what’s happening in the world. When we embark on a project we have to undertake a risk analysis.

“We had a timeframe and so far we have been fairly satisfied with the deliverables. [We know that] if we are not ready when the opportunity comes we will get left behind.

“Certain deliverables” of the Business Park are expected to be in place in the next 13 to 15 months, he added.

Later he added to journalists that there had been “a reduction in overall construction costs… some substantial savings, although some things are decided by the market. We’ll sit down with our suppliers. I’m a business person, and so like all people to prosper”.

He said the two substations for the Business Park – SS7 and SS8 – have already been built and that this is ahead of normal protocol whereby the construction of buildings and infrastructure run parallel.

In answer to a question over the prospective price of buying business units, he said: “It depends on how much investors would seek to acquire”, adding that the days of people pushing price packages could be near an end.

He revealed also that there is no automatic roll-over of contracts with one supplier from one part of the overall project to the next, saying that he would give “as many companies as possible that chance to come on board” by tendering their services.

“I feel excited when I’m on horseback, I really love him,” said 7-year-old Wang Mochi, as she gently stroked a brown horse at Yan Long International Horse Company’s race course in the Yan Jiao Economic Development Area in eastern rural Beijing.

Wang Mochi, 7, puts a horse through its paces at Yan Long International Horse Company in Beijing. Photo: Wang Mochi

Wang began riding lessons when she was only 4 and has mastered basic equestrian skills. “The horse and I have already become good friends. I’d like to groom him. See how beautiful he looks,” she said.

Horseback riding is becoming increasingly popular among young, well-heeled urban residents, but 30 or more years ago when the horses were primarily beasts of burden or raised for food and milk, few Chinese could have imagined that they’d be used for sport and recreation.

“The Chinese horse market is in a transitional period,” Yue Gaofeng, executive secretary-general of the China National Horse Industry Association (CNHIA), told the Global Times.

“The modern Chinese horse industry covers raising them as livestock for food and milk, breeding, recreational riding and tourism and has a lot of room to develop, unlike some Western countries where the equestrian market is already comprehensive and mature,” Yue said.

Grand plans to gallop

As such, some foreign investors have begun saddling up to ride the mainland horse market.

This March, Meydan City Corporation (Dubai, UAE) announced plans for a joint venture project, Tianjin Horse City in Ninghe County, Tianjin to train 8,000 professional equestrians and breed 1,000 high quality horses within five years.

Tianjin Horse City, with the total estimated project value amounting to 24 billion yuan ($3.51 billion), will be jointly established by four groups: Meydan, TAK Design Consultants (Malaysia), Zhouji Jiye (China) and Tianjin Farm Group (China).

Similar projects are underway at Wenjiang Horse City in West China’s Sichuan Province and Xilingolite Horse City in North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The Chinese horses industry’s output value is predicted to have a growth rate of 20-30 percent annually, according to a report by Yubo Group, a diversified business group that deals in specialized exhibition, media investment and marketing resources.

Yubo is also co-hosting an international horse fair, HORFA China 2010, from September 24-26 in Shanghai with horses from different regions to attract investors and equine lovers alike.

Labor shortage

But these grand plans also face major obstacles. China lacks experienced horse professionals such as trainers, grooms and jockeys and its most well-known horse, the Shandan horse in Gansu Province that was used to transport military goods before the 1970s, is good at bearing heavy burdens, but is not adapted for riding or racing.

And in other parts of China like Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region , most horses are used for meat and milk. Qian Zhongping, a 47-year old man at Hongshan Farm in the Barkol Kazak Autonomous County in West China’s Xinjiang has bred horses for more than 20 years, but only has about 40 horses in all.

“Every year, I sell around 10 horses for meat, and nearly 10 colts are born annually,” Qian said, “and the net profit of each horse sale is only around 2,000 yuan ($300).

“I have little money to set up a race course, but if the government teaches us how to breed quality horses and give us financial support, my business could be larger,” Qian said. “We have huge grassy fields, that’s to our advantage.”

In Beijing, a large proportion of Yan Long International Horse Company’s horses are imported from overseas including Germany. “They are really expensive, some cost more than 1 million yuan ($146,400),” Han Zhanjun, the deputy general manager, told the Global Times.

And it can take more than 30 years to breed a good species of racehorse, according to Yue Gaofeng of CNHIA.

“CNHIA has set up a horse breeding registration system to register the blood lineage, and we also need the local governmental support, including monitoring to ensure that the first or second generation horses will not be sold just for money, but used for breeding into the third and forth generations,” Yue said.

The labor shortage is seen at Yan Long where there are only five self-taught trainers who have been working for about three years, as well as teaching others such as young Wang Mochi equestrian skills.

“The trainers here have a relatively lower literacy level,” Han confessed, “but we will create opportunities in the future for them to gain advanced experience abroad.”

A 5-year-old boy, Wang Hanxiang, whose mother, Taiwanese-American Angel Wang, hired a private Canadian trainer for him, has taken riding lessons for nearly a year at Jialiang Equestrian Club in Shanghai.

“My son took lessons in California before we moved to Shanghai last year, but here we found that the domestic trainers really lack experience and skills, let alone being able to communicate with the horses,” Wang said. “That is why we’ve hired a costly foreign trainer.”

“The horses at the Jialiang Equestrian Club lack daily training,” she added with disappointment. “A horse needs to exercise every day to keep its muscles strong.”

No betting allowed

While Chinese famously enjoy gambling, one potential source of public welfare income and horse promotion – racing – is illegal on the mainland, unlike Hong Kong where off-track betting draws millions of dollars in tax revenue annually.

Horse racing was banned in 1949, but reappeared on a small scale in the 1990s, but not with gambling. In 2008, one commercial horse race was organized in Wuhan, as a trial step, analysts said, towards legalized race gambling. But nothing has changed since.

Yue Gaofeng of CNHIA said, “Betting on horse racing with all the tax revenue for public welfare could be the most effective way to benefit the horse market if it were organized regularly and fairly.”

But things would not be that easy. “Several key issues including who would be the organizer of the betting affairs – the General Administration of Sports, the Ministry of Agriculture, or the Ministry of Civil Affairs – need to be resolved to pave the way for legalizing betting.”

“There is also the danger of corruption, so it’s important that it be run fairly,” Yue said. “What we need is a race bet-ting system for public affairs, with all the tax revenue collected used to support agriculture and farmers. The money of the urban rich could be transmitted to the rural poor people’s pockets.” He also said that a racing industry could create “tens of thousands of jobs once a nationwide betting network is set up.”

As for Wang Mochi, the little girl wearing a white riding jacket, she only wants her friends to join her. “I will invite my classmates here, and we all can make friends with the lovely horses,” she said with smile.