Mohamed Khalid Abdulrahim smiles as he reflects on his two great passions in life: horses and cars, with speed being a common theme.
“Horses have a mind of their own, which can be frustrating and often result in injury, while cars do what they are told. But I couldn’t live without either. ” says the scion of construction specialist KAR Group, one of Bahrain’s largest industrial conglomerates.
Founded 30 years ago by his father, who remains chairman, the company shot to fame when it built F1 Grand Prix tracks in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi in 2004 and 2009 respectively.
Abdulrahim, 35, has a private collection of more than 70 of the world’s most valuable and rare cars, including McLarens and Porsches, mostly purchased as investments. Its value is currently estimated at more than $125 million.
In contrast, horse racing operations are much smaller, with only 15 horses in training in Bahrain and a few more in the UK and Ireland. That includes Sprewell, trained by Jessica Harrington, who finished fifth in the Irish Derby at Curler this year. The family also owns Friarstown Stud near Kildare.
“At first it was like homework, and I quickly learned a lot,” Abdulrahim says. “Now I’m hooked and looking forward to the big races. I’d love to get my dad’s home-bred horse a winner. That’s the ambition. At the end of the day, anyone can buy a horse at a sale. Once you produce your own horse, it’s on another level.”
While cars have always given him a thrill and he has the privilege of driving whatever car he wants depending on his mood, there is greater excitement in developing the MKAR Racing operation with the ambition of winning Group 1 races in the near future. It will be brought. , and perhaps the Epsom Derby someday. He hopes to train 40 horses next year.
“For me, the Derby at Epsom is the ultimate ambition. When a horse wins that race, you know how good he is. That’s the biggest race for me. It’s not about the prize money. It’s about breeding. It’s about possibility.
“But it’s very difficult to get into that circle. All of our competitors have the resources. But it’s a tough game, especially when you’re up against operations like Coolmore and Godolphin.”
Horse racing was the sport he first became involved with as a boy, collecting some of the many trophies his father won with his horses.
“I started building my own business in earnest about four years ago. I learned from the best person, my father, who I have the utmost respect for and who has guided me in every aspect of my life. He was a mentor and mentor,” Abdulrahim says.
This week, global racing attention focused on Bahrain and the latest race in an increasingly prestigious international trophy. The race is currently registered as a Group 2 event, with a prize purse of $1 million. The purse attracted the best field ever, with 10 overseas challengers joining the 14-man line-up, including several Group 1 winners from Ireland and England.
Abdulrahim came very close with his horse Goman, but was unable to reach the qualifying mark and was placed on first place. If the horse had been withdrawn due to injury, he would have competed. It was something so close and yet so far away.
But that didn’t reduce his appetite. Nor is he seeing a group of young people entering the sport from the Middle East or the Gulf region.
“The growth of horse racing in the Middle East is remarkable. It is becoming a powerful force. Many young people are becoming interested in the sport. His Highness Sheikh Isa bin Salman will be in charge (of racing). When he took over, he changed a lot of things, especially in terms of bringing international racing to Bahrain, which is what we were missing. You see things differently, and that’s great.
“A race like the International Trophy comes with big prestige, big prize money and a quality field. This year it was almost at Group 1 level, but we’ll make it in time. All these famous horses, trainers , it was amazing to see the jockey come to Bahrain.
“There are a number of other young big managers. We work hard together at home, but when we go overseas we become like a team and we support each other and want the Bahraini horses to win. It’s a source of great pride.”
While racing has grown, it is F1 that has truly helped elevate Bahrain’s status. Sebalco, the construction arm of KAR Group, completed the landmark project on budget and on time. Abu Dhabi was so impressed that Sebalko was invited to Yas to help build his project and track for the marina. That was group building.
Abdulrahim’s Pride of Abdulrahim’s car collection is probably his McLaren F1 car, which is currently worth $25 million alone. Driving was always out of the question, but he could pick and choose which cars he drove for fun. And twice a year, he conquers his circuit in the Grand Prix, where he spends his day behind the wheel of the world’s best supercar.
“I love driving on circuits with wide roads and long straights. I’ve crashed a lot of cars in my life. But I’ve learned from my mistakes. I drive what I like. It is quite addictive. It is quite difficult to stop once you start.
“Cars are reliable and increase in value. When we started in 2008, people asked why we spend so much money on cars. Now they know. It’s one of the best investments we can make.
“I have loved cars since I was a child. When my father said that I should invest in a car, I was in dreamland. I know a lot and he guided me when it came to choosing a car. They trust me.”
Is it like buying a horse? “Actually, no, because very often you are chosen to buy a particular car by the manufacturer. Basically, there are more people in the world who want these cars than there are cars available to buy. There are more of them. They are like gold.”
Updated: November 17, 2023, 6:00 p.m.