The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) Bureau has unanimously approved the immediate reinstatement of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) national federation to full membership of the FEI following signature of a legally binding agreement between the two parties in which the Emirates Equestrian Federation (EEF) guarantees that horse welfare will be fully respected and that FEI rules will be stringently enforced at all endurance events, both national and international, in that country.

The agreement has been signed by FEI President Ingmar De Vos, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Zeender, EEF President HE Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, EEF Secretary General Taleb Dhaher Al Muhairi, and UAE National Olympic Committee Secretary General Mohammad Al Kamali.

The FEI Bureau provisionally suspended the EEF in mid-March following an investigation into major horse welfare issues and noncompliance with FEI rules and regulations in endurance in the UAE.

Following the suspension and at the FEI Bureau’s request, the EEF proposed an extensive list of actions it would undertake to address the issues. These were integrated into a draft agreement that the EEF sent to the FEI in early June. The FEI Bureau unanimously welcomed the proposals, but informed the EEF that more areas needed to be covered before the agreement that would allow the provisional suspension to be lifted could be signed. The two parties have spent the intervening weeks reviewing and revising the terms of the agreement