The UAE has a deep affinity for Arabian horses, stemming from HH sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahayan''s concern for reviving the glory of the breed, as it was in Arabian tradition. Soon after the world began to demonstrate its concern for the Arabian horse by founding the World Arabian Horse Organization (WAHO), the  Stables of HH Sheikh Zayed applied to become an individual associate member of WAHO, in 1986.

The UAE first participated in a WAHO conference in November 1986, held in Morocco. Since then the UAE has never been absent from the international field, taking all steps for improving the status of the Arabian horse. In august, 1988 two delegates from the UAE representing the  Stables of HH Sheikh Zayed, participated in the 1990 meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona. In November, 1992, the UAE participated in the WAHO conference in the Arab Republic of Egypt. It also participated, in September 1994, in the conference in Morocco, as well as organizing an exhibition to inform others about the country''s rapid development.

From the beginning, the UAE set out to register the origins of all purebred Arabian horses in the country. In September 1988, two WAHO council members were invited to discuss with HH Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahayan the possibility of founding a registry office to be approved locally and internationally, and to make the necessary contacts with WAHO. After HH Sheikh Hazza approved the initial steps, the work has gone rapidly. In March 1989 the UAE was accepted among countries applying for WAHO membership. In November of the same year, an office for the UAE''s horse archives was set up, equipped with all means of local and international communications to begin the registration process.

The beginnings were simple, but with big achievements. It began with the Emirates Arabian Horse Society releasing the first book of the origins of UAE horses in 1989, just a few months after it was established. In less than a year (January 1990) a copy of the book was delivered to WAHO. After being approved in the regular meeting of the 1990 WAHO conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, the UAE become a full member of the organization.

The society made use of all means of international communications and different ways of recording and examining information. In may 1993, the Society became linked to the USA horse registration data base, and in September 1994, to the international information net for Arabian horse registration-- second only in the world (after Canada).

The Society also made use of electronic identification registration of all locally bred foals through the implantation of identification chip. Afterwards, the Society began exploring ways of expanding its targets and to invite WAHO to host its conference in the UAE - a country with a long link with the Arabian horse. In January 1993 the UAE (represented by HH Sheikh Hazza) formally invited WAHO to hold its 1996 conference in the country. The invitation was unanimously accepted after being discussed by the executive committee of the organization in its meeting in London. The Society has been long preparing to receive this conference to demonstrate the UAE''s continuous and genuine efforts to preserve the purity of the Arabian horse breed.