For the purposes of implementing the provisions of this Resolution, the following terms and expressions shall have the meanings assigned to each of them, unless the context requires otherwise:
State: The United Arab Emirates.
Authority: The Emirates Racing Authority.
Board of Directors: The Board of Directors of the Authority.
Horse Racing: A competition in which horses contest on a licensed and accredited racetrack for a specific distance, in accordance with the race terms and standards issued by the Authority.

The Emirates Racing Authority is an independent federal authority reporting to the Prime Minister. It shall have legal personality, financial and administrative independence, and the legal capacity necessary to carry out the acts and dispositions that ensure the exercise of its competences.

In coordination with the competent authorities in the State, the Authority shall be responsible for the following:
1. Regulating horse racing in the State in accordance with international benchmark standards.
2. Licensing racetracks within the State and setting the necessary regulations, conditions, and standards for their licensing.
3. Setting the regulations, conditions, and standards for licensing equine facilities in the State—whether for racehorses or horses kept for personal purposes—in a manner that ensures the health and welfare of horses.
4. Licensing horse trainers and conducting the necessary examinations and tests for their licensing.
5. Licensing jockeys, technicians, and stable staff involved in horse racing.
6. Registration of horse owners and approving their racing colors and emblems.
7. Registration of thoroughbred and purebred Arabian racehorses.
8. Identifying and registering stallions and broodmares for breeding purposes within the State.
9. Registration of purebred Arabian and thoroughbred horses born in the State and issuing their passports.
10. Coordinating with international horse racing authorities and bodies regarding the registration of horses, and the licensing of trainers and jockeys, and following up on and completing the relevant administrative procedures.
11. Developing and issuing the seasonal horse racing schedule (race days) in coordination with the various racetracks.
12. Developing and issuing the monthly program specifying the conditions and distances of horse races within the State.
13. Receiving and classifying entries, assigning horse weights, and disseminating this information to relevant parties.
14. Receiving and classifying declarations of horse and jockey participation, conducting the draw for starting gates, and disseminating the information to relevant parties and media outlets.
15. Supervising the collection of horse samples and conducting tests for prohibited substances.
16. Supervising the printing of horse racing booklets and ensuring the accuracy of their data.
17. Supervising horse race results within the State, printing them, and issuing the seasonal race results booklet.
18. Supervising the Emirates Stud Book for crossbred and purebred horses.
19. Setting official horse classifications (Handicap Rating).
20. Supervising all equine auctions within the State.
21. Supervising apprentice jockeys who are citizens of the State.
22. Supervising the procedures for the import and export of horses (non-veterinary procedures).
23. Developing emergency plans for combating epidemics and infectious diseases affecting the Equidae family and disseminating them to all concerned entities for implementation.
24. Performing any other competences entrusted to the Authority under laws, regulations, or resolutions issued by the Cabinet or the Prime Minister.

The Authority shall have a Board of Directors to be formed pursuant to a resolution issued by the Prime Minister. The Board of Directors shall set its rules of procedure, meetings, and decision-making procedures.

The Board of Directors shall take over the following competences:
1. Approving the general policy of the Authority and overseeing its implementation.
2. Issuing decisions and regulatory bylaws related to the competences entrusted to the Authority under the provisions of this Resolution.
3. Approving the internal regulations and policies governing the operations of the Authority.
4. Approving the Authority’s draft annual budget and its final accounts.
5. Approving the Authority’s draft organizational structure.
6. Approving the service fees and returns provided by the Authority.
7. Appointing one or more external auditors, if necessary, and determining their remuneration.
8. Establishing standing or temporary committees and working groups to enable the Authority to fulfill its competences, and defining their mandates and rules of procedure.
9. Any other competences assigned by the Prime Minister.
The Board of Directors may delegate any of its competences to the Chairperson.

The fiscal year of the Authority shall commence on the first day of January and shall end on the thirty-first day of December of each calendar year.

The financial resources of the Authority shall consist of:
1. Returns from the activities it conducts and the services it provides.
2. Donations, grants, subsidies, and sponsorships received and accepted by the Authority’s Board of Directors.
3. Any other revenues approved by the Board of Directors.

The procedures for disbursement of and control over the Authority’s financial resources shall be governed by the regulations, policies, and procedures in force within the Authority, as issued by the Board of Directors. The Authority shall be exempt from the provisions on oversight by the State Audit Institution.

The Authority shall have its own independent regulations, policies, and systems governing the workflow, including matters related to human resources, administration, accounting, finance, and contracting. They shall be issued by a resolution of the Board of Directors.

The Authority shall have exclusive jurisdiction to conduct the necessary investigations in the event of violations of the legislation regulating the horse racing performed within the State issued thereby and to take appropriate decisions in this regard. The Authority may refer any such violations to the competent judicial authorities if they constitute offenses punishable by law.

1. The Authority shall establish a schedule of penalties and fines to be imposed on violators of the horse racing legislation issued by the Authority, along with the mechanisms for implementing them. For this purpose, it may issue the decisions related to suspension, revocation of licenses it has granted, and disqualification of violators from participating in races.
2. The Authority shall also establish a mechanism for filing grievances against its decisions and for adjudicating on such grievances.

The Authority shall be exempt from the provisions of Federal Decree by Law No. (26) of 2019 Regarding Public Finance, and the provisions of Federal Decree by Law No. (11) of 2008 Regarding Human Resources in the Federal Government, as well as all executive and regulatory regulations and bylaws issued pursuant thereto.

1. The regulations, decisions, and rules currently in force within the Authority shall remain effective until new regulations, decisions, and rules are issued to replace them.
2. All resolutions, rules, and regulations previously issued by the Authority prior to the issuance of this Resolution shall be deemed valid and legally effective.
3. Prime Minister’s Resolution No. (11) of 2006 Regarding the Establishment of the Emirates Racing Authority, as well as any provision that contradicts or conflicts with the provisions of this Resolution, is hereby repealed.
4. The Authority shall retain all rights and obligations, including those contained in any contracts, agreements, or memoranda of understanding concluded prior to the entry into force of this Resolution.

This Resolution shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall enter into force from the date of its issuance.