ABU DHABI, 18th April, 2026 (WAM) -- The 33rd edition of the UAE President's Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses opens tomorrow at the Ksar Sad Racecourse in Tunisia, launching the most expansive and richest season in the series' 32-year history, featuring nineteen international stops across four continents, with total prize money exceeding AED20 million.

The Tunisia leg is the first of a new season agenda that stands as the largest and most widespread in the history of the series. For over three decades, the Cup has grown from a regional event into the most prestigious Purebred Arabian horse racing series on the planet - and the 33rd edition makes that ambition official in numbers.

Opening at Ksar Sad, 14 elite horses from leading Arabian racing stables across Tunisia and North Africa will contest a Group 1 race over 2,000 metres on a dirt track, a distance and surface that historically rewards both raw speed and racing intelligence.

Leading the field is Khaddam (by Muqatil Al Khalidiah out of Bint Sur), the most dominant force in this race's recent history.

Three starts at Ksar Sad. Three wins - 2022, 2023, 2024. On this track, this is his home, and he returns with every reason to make it four. The weight of expectation follows him into every gate here, and the question for rivals is simple: has anything changed?

Stepping into the race as last year's champion is Nafe'eh (by Noresk Al Maury out of Menjadour), who turned Tunisia 2025 into a statement. The four-year-old defied the odds at last year's opener, outrunning three pre-race favourites to cross the line two lengths clear. He arrives as the horse to beat, carrying the form of a proven winner on this very ground.

The full field of 14:

Khaddam (Muqatil Al Khalidiah Bint Sur) - Three-time Tunisia leg champion (2022, 2023, 2024)

Nafe'eh (Noresk Al Maury Menjadour) - Defending champion

Las Vegas

Buraq

Afjan

Mossan

Nimis

Monib Al Wajd

Arabi Ammar

Wa'ad Al Adiyat

Warfali

Maward

RB Boyfriend

Gindor De Bozouls

Through this edition, the Cup continues to build on 33 years of accumulated success. The UAE's investment in Purebred Arabian racing has elevated the breed's standing at the world's most significant equestrian festivals, transforming the series from a regional competition into a genuine global platform. Owners, breeders, and racing communities across four continents are now part of the same conversation - one that started here, with one horse, one track, and one vision.

Matar Suhail Al Yabhouni Al Dhaheri, Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee, said, "The unlimited support of the wise leadership has led to a qualitative leap in the journey of the President's Cup. It has strengthened its presence at major global tracks, becoming a leading platform to support owners and breeders and elevating the status of the Purebred Arabian horse internationally."