Eighth Crown Prince Camel Festival opens today in Taif

Under the patronage of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, the eighth edition of the Crown Prince Camel Festival opens today, Thursday. Organized by the Saudi Camel Federation, the event runs from 21 Rabi Al-Awwal to 2 Rabi Al-Thani 1448 AH, corresponding to September 3 to 13, at the Taif Camel Racing Track, with total prize money exceeding 50 million riyals (SAR).

On this occasion, Minister of Sports and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, expressed his sincere gratitude to the Crown Prince for his patronage of the festival's eighth edition.

He stated: "The generous patronage of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for the Crown Prince Camel Festival reflects the significant attention and support the sports sector receives from the Kingdom's leadership. It demonstrates his ongoing commitment to supporting camel racing and preserving its status as an integral part of Saudi Arabia's cultural and national heritage. This patronage also serves as an incentive to continue developing the sport and enhancing its presence locally and internationally, reinforcing the Kingdom's leadership in various sports and contributing to the goals of Saudi Vision 2030."

The festival will feature 248 races across categories including Haqayeq, Laqaya, Jadh'a, Thanaya, Heil, and Zamoul, as well as special production races limited to Saudi participants, who will compete for the Crown Prince Camel Festival Cup, which carries a prize of 500,000 riyals.

For the first time, the festival will also include Mazayen camel beauty contests in the colors of Shaqah, Shaal, Hamr, Safr, Majahim, Wadh, and Asayel camels.

The previous edition of the festival achieved notable distinction, setting four Guinness World Records as the largest camel sports festival globally. It registered the highest number of camels participating in races, with 21,637 camels, and saw a 93.5% increase in participants compared to the first edition. Over the past seven editions, the total number of camels participating has exceeded 100,000.