The Dubai World Cup returned to Meydan Racecourse on Saturday and visitors broke out their most stylish outfits for the occasion, including colourful hats and flamboyant fascinators.

The annual event, the jewel in the crown of UAE horse racing, also doubles as one of the city’s biggest fashion events of the year, with many planning their outfits weeks in advance to make a style statement.

And this year, as with many that have gone before, hats were the order of service, with plenty of guests donning headwear in bright and muted colours.

Scroll through the gallery below to see some of the best hats spotted at the Dubai World Cup

Hats and fascinators aside, some women opted for headbands with ornamentation and others sported turban-like creations.

Options ranged from wide-brim styles to more delicate looks, as well as elongated headgear and side-swept options.

Florals, feathers and abstract geometric swirls were all on offer, as were bows and butterflies.

Fashion and beauty influencer and writer Tamaraah took hats to a whole new level, wearing a specially crafted design inspired by Neom in Saudi Arabia.

The piece consisted of a woven base to represent the sand of the Arabian Desert and a long metal fixture to represent the structure of megaproject The Line. She thanked hat designer Nazgul Nejmi when posting images of the look to Instagram.

“My hat this year is a heartfelt ode to Saudi Arabia’s project @discoverneom The Line and sustainability,” she wrote. “Nazgul Nejmi, my hat designer has always been inspired by the architecture of exceptional developments, and given this year’s emphasis on being the year of sustainability, what better example than Neom’s The Line.”

Hats aside, there were plenty of other striking looks spotted trackside. Princess Noor Bint Asem of Jordan, who attended the race alongside her husband, Amr Zedan, looked chic in a ruffled chiffon dress by British label Needle and Thread.