UAE camels sweep Thunaya cups at 2026 Crown Prince Camel Festival
Emirati camels claimed all Thunaya category cups at the 2026 Crown Prince Camel Festival in Taif, as the eighth edition nears its conclusion.
Key Takeaways
AIThe historic Taif camel racetrack hosted the crowning of Thunaya category winners at the 2026 Crown Prince Camel Festival, where Emirati camels dominated by securing all four cups after intense competition.
Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, Chairman of the Saudi Camel Federation, today awarded the Thunaya category winners in the final round of the festival’s eighth edition.
The camel “Beeh,” owned by Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, won the “Open Female” cup with a time of 9:10.155 minutes, while “Al Hassas,” owned by Rashid Mroushid, took the “Open Male” cup in 9:14.187 minutes.
Manie Al Shamsi claimed two titles, with “Shawq” winning the “General Female” cup in 9:22.770 minutes and “Al Dheeb” taking the “General Male” cup in 9:34.697 minutes.
Morning heats: Saudi camels lead victories
In the morning session, Saudi camels topped the results with eight wins out of 16 heats, followed by Qatari camels with four victories. The remaining heats were split among Emirati, Kuwaiti, and Bahraini camels.
Festival details and closing events
The eighth edition of the Crown Prince Camel Festival is held under the patronage of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and organized by the Saudi Camel Federation. The competition concludes tomorrow, with total prize money exceeding 50 million riyals (SAR).