Young children have continued as jockeys despite legislation

The interior ministry said jockeys would now have to show valid cards before they would be allowed to race.

Earlier this year, the Gulf state raised the minimum age of camel jockeys from 16 to 18 years.

In the past, traffickers have brought boys - some as young as four - from poor Asian countries to become jockeys.

Young boys were forced to take part in dangerous and terrifying races because of their light weight.

Faced with international condemnation, the UAE and other Gulf states have brought in a raft of measures to stamp out underage participation, including introducing robot jockeys and preventing unaccompanied children entering the country.

But anti-slavery groups say about 3,000 underage boys still work as jockeys in the Emirates.

The US has criticised four Gulf countries as having some of the world's worst records in human trafficking.

Using children as jockeys has officially been banned in the UAE since 1980 but the law was openly flouted. Earlier this year it tightened the rules, banning under-16s and those lighter than 45kg (100lb) from racing.

It also agreed with the United Nations on a plan to repatriate underage jockeys trafficked from poorer countries.