Table of Contents
How to Start a Horse Trading Business with Meydan Free Zone
The Dubai World Cup carries a prize pool of USD 30.5 million. A single champion Arabian stallion can sell for more than a luxury villa.
The Emirates Arabian Horse Society has 28,750 registered horses and nearly 6,000 registered owners as of 2024¹. The ruling families maintain some of the world's finest studs.
Meydan Racecourse and other circuits host 64 race meetings each year². This is a country that treats horses as legacy, as competition and as commerce.
Therefore, the wholesale trade in horses sits bountifully at the intersection of heritage, sport, and serious capital.
The numbers extend well beyond the paddock. The global horse racing industry is valued at USD 491.7 billion in 2025, projected to reach USD 530.2 billion by 2030 at a 3.9 percent CAGR, according to Deep Market Insights³.
The bloodstock breeding segment alone was valued at USD 3.2 billion in 2024, per Verified Market Reports⁴. Europe's combined equine sector contributes EUR 52.1 billion annually and supports over 500,000 jobs, according to EquerryCo⁵.
Closer to home, the UAE's 2024–2025 racing season features 64 fixtures across five racecourses, with Group 1 purses routinely exceeding AED 2 million per race². The Emirates Arabian Horse Society issued 3,963 import permits and 3,643 export permits by the end of 2024¹, confirming the UAE as a major node in the global movement of elite horses.
For wholesale traders sourcing, importing, and selling horses across the UAE and GCC, this is a market where pedigree and provenance command premium prices year after year.
Meydan Free Zone combines 100% foreign ownership, zero corporate tax on qualifying income, full profit repatriation, and a fully digital licensing process into one of the most straightforward setups for horse trading operations in the region.
Who is this for?
| Audience Segment | Profile |
|---|---|
| Bloodstock Traders and Importers | Dealers sourcing Thoroughbreds, Purebred Arabians, and sport horses from international breeders, studs, and auction houses for wholesale to UAE racing operations, private studs, and breeding programmes. |
| Breeding Stock Suppliers | Businesses importing elite stallions, broodmares, and young stock with verified pedigrees for sale to government-backed equine facilities, private breeders, and royal studs across the GCC. |
| Equestrian and Leisure Horse Dealers | Traders supplying show horses, polo ponies, endurance horses, and leisure riding horses to equestrian clubs, riding schools, hotel stables, and private buyers in the UAE. |
4620.92 - Horses Trading
Under this activity, you are in the business of wholesaling live horses.This sub-activity covers the wholesale purchase, import, and sale of horses for racing, breeding, sport, leisure, or resale. The animals are traded alive.
The scope covers Thoroughbreds, Purebred Arabians, sport horses, endurance horses, polo ponies, and other equine breeds traded through private sales, auction platforms, or direct contracts with studs, racing operations, and institutional buyers.
Some activities sit outside this scope. Breeding and raising horses as a production activity falls under animal production, not wholesale trade.
Providing stud services, equine veterinary care, or training services sits outside the trading scope. Retail sale of horses directly to individual leisure buyers may fall under retail trade.
Sale of equestrian equipment, feed, or horse-related accessories belongs to separate activity codes. This also excludes the wholesale of textile fibres.
The core of this activity is the wholesale transaction. If you are buying horses and selling them to farms, studs, racing operations, equestrian facilities, or other traders, you are in.
If you are breeding, training, boarding, or servicing them, you are not.
| Category | Scope |
|---|---|
| Racehorses | Wholesale of race-ready Thoroughbreds and Purebred Arabians for sale to racing stables, trainers, and syndicate owners competing across the UAE's five racecourses and international circuits. UAE RACING INFRASTRUCTURE Meydan Racecourse and other circuits host 64 racing fixtures annually; the Dubai World Cup offers a USD 30.5 million prize pool in 2025. |
| Stallions, broodmares and breeding stock | Import and sale of pedigree stallions, proven broodmares, and elite young stock for breeding programmes operated by government studs, royal families, and private breeders. KEY UAE STUDS Shadwell Stud, Al Asayl Stud, Dubai Arabian Horse Stud, Rabab Stud, and Athbah Stud are among the region's most active buyers of elite bloodstock. |
| Sport, show and polo horses | Trading in horses bred or trained for show jumping, dressage, polo, and eventing, supplied to equestrian clubs, competition riders, and polo organisations. UAE EQUESTRIAN CONTEXT Dubai International Horse Fair, held annually at DWTC, connects breeders, traders, and buyers across the Middle East's equestrian ecosystem. |
| Leisure, endurance and working horses | Wholesale of horses for riding schools, desert tourism operations, hotel equestrian facilities, endurance racing, and other non-competitive uses. REGIONAL DEMAND Endurance racing is a major discipline in the UAE and GCC; the Emirates Equestrian Federation oversees competitions that create steady demand for endurance-bred horses. |
Third-Party Approval
No third-party approval is required for this business activity.
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance
This business activity is exempt from AML compliance requirements.
References
- ¹ Emirates Arabian Horse Society / World Arabian Horse Organization (WAHO) — UAE Country Report (2024) — https://www.waho.org/united-arab-emirates/
- ² Emirates Racing Authority — UAE Racing Season 2024–2025 Fixture List — https://emiratesracing.com/
- ³ Deep Market Insights — Horse Racing Market Size, Share & Growth Report (2025–2030) — https://deepmarketinsights.com/report/horse-racing-market-research-report
- ⁴ Verified Market Reports — Horse Racing Breeding Market Size, Industry Evaluation & Forecast 2033 — https://www.verifiedmarketreports.com/product/horse-racing-breeding-market/
- ⁵ EquerryCo — Global Horse Breeding & Sales Market: Trends, Economics & Future Insights (2025) — https://www.equerryco.com/blog/horse-breeding-and-sales-global-market-analysis
