UAE camel festival features beauty contests, races

Dubai: Some have lined up to display their beauty, while others are competing for racing skills.

At the much-celebrated annual camel festival in the UAE, the animals are enjoying all the attention coming their way as more than 10,000 humped beasts gather together to participate in a series of events.

The Sheikh Zayed Race Grand Prix Festival, which will run to January 5, offers prizes totalling USD 8.16 million to winners of 155 races over various categories and distances.

Besides the races, the festival also sees a range of competitions including beauty shows, milking and breeding, and auctions as well as cultural and folklore sideshows.

Traditional horse and camel shows were held at the event on its first day which featured a 4 kilometre camel race and an auction on 59 camels.

Officials said such events celebrate the fact that animals have been a vital part of the Emirati way of life for centuries.

Besides races and pageants, other events that draw people at the camel festival photography competitions and traditional souqs or markets.