Record participation in Saudi-bred races at 2026 Crown Prince Camel Festival

The eighth edition of the Crown Prince Camel Festival 2026 began with a strong start at the historic Taif racetrack, where the exclusive 'Saudi Production' races on opening day saw a record 921 camels compete. This milestone reflects the success of development plans led by the Saudi Camel Federation, chaired by Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed.

This exceptional turnout is part of a strategy to empower local owners and breeders and boost investment in national camel breeds, aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. The festival is held under the patronage of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

New strategy to support local production

This achievement follows a strategic decision by the Saudi Camel Federation in early August to dedicate separate races for locally bred camels and grant Saudi owners ample time to prepare ahead of the festival.

During the morning session on the first day, 921 camels competed in 21 races for the 'Haqayeq' category (female and male calves) over a distance of 2 kilometers. The camel 'Ghazlan,' owned by Saad Amer Saad Al-Fuhaida Al-Marri, recorded the fastest time at 2:55.977 minutes with an average speed of 40.914 km/h, while the overall average time was 2:59.680 minutes.

Prize money and incentives for Saudi owners

The festival features 37 races dedicated to 'Saudi Production,' split between the Haqayeq category (21 morning races) and the Laqaya category (16 races scheduled for next Sunday morning).

The Saudi Camel Federation has allocated SAR 3.3 million in prize money for the 'Saudi Production' races, distributed among the top ten finishers in each race. Additionally, the organizing committee introduced a SAR 500,000 prize for the owner who accumulates the most points across both general and Saudi Production races, further encouraging Saudi participants.