Camel Racing in Abu Dhabi
camel racing is closely associatedwith the unique heritage of the UAE and the traditional lifestyle of Bedouins.It was mainly staged to mark important social occasions such as weddingceremonies, community festivals or the visits of Sheikhs to Bedouin villages.
Today, camel racing is a well organised traditional sport that attracts a huge number of spectators includingordinary people and members of the ruling families. The racing season falls inthe winter months from October to March and races are usually held in weekendmornings at modern race tracks. Weekly camel race competitions are held at Al Wathba, Al Maqam and Al Ain camel race tracks in Abu Dhabi and valuable prizes and cash awards worthmillions of Dirhams are distributed. Entrance to the race tracks is free.
Purebred camels, which begin training when they turn two years, are used in thecamel races and training is held on a daily basis to maintain the stamina ofthe animal. Mahaliyat, or the local breed, Omaniyat, the Omani camels, Sudaniyat, the Sudanese camels, and Muhajanat, or the interbred, are the main breeds used in the racingcompetitions.
Emirates Camel Racing Federation
Emirates Camel Racing Federation was set up in 1992 to regulate and overseecamel racing events in the UAE and promote the event abroad. The Federation,which is also responsible for developing rules and regulations for the sport,banned in 2002 the use of child human jockeys under the age of 15 orweighing less than 45 kg to handle racing camels by replacing them with remotecontrolled robot jockeys.
Camel Race Festival at Al Wathba
Al Wathba Camel Race Festival, held in April, is a major camel racingevent marked by the esteemed presence of the rulers of the UAE. Theannual event, held at Al Wathba Race Track which has modern
viewing facilities, is aimed atreviving the nation’s rich cultural heritage.
HH Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Camel Festival
On the directives of HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, HH Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Camel Festival is held at Sweihan racecourse under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President’s Representative and Chairman of Emirates Heritage Club (EHC).The main highlights of the event are heritage camel race, camel beauty show forthoroughbred Asayel camels, camel auctions and saluki beauty show andrace. The festival aims to promote the Emirati heritage.
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