UK Envoy: King Abdulaziz Festival Enhances Saudi Arabia’s Camel-Related Cultural Heritage
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Hashim Sheikh
- . December 28, 2022
- . Update: December 28, 2022 10:25 pm
The seventh King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, an annual cultural, economic, sports and entertainment festival in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, enhances the camel-related cultural heritage of the country, says the British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Neil Crompton.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Crompton visited the festival’s headquarters in Sayahid in the Kingdom. Crompton reportedly said, “I read a lot about the significance of camels in Arab culture.” He praised the presence of fans in the camel competition. He invited the tourists, especially the Britishers, to visit the Kingdom and attend the camel festival.
He also attended an exhibition at the Weapons Museum and watched the final stages of the Al-Safar and Al-Shaal competitions.
Reportedly, the festival aims to strengthen the camel heritage in the Kingdom, Arab and Islamic culture. It also aims to provide a cultural, tourist, sports and economic destination for camels.
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The festival started last month with the participation of thousands of camels to compete for dozens of prizes worth over SR100 million. It is considered one of the largest camel festivals in the Middle East region.
The festival also features cultural shows as well as the famous Al-Dahna Market. Different breeds of camel participate in the competition. The festival also creates job opportunities for men and women. Local families can sell their goods at the seasonal commercial market and food trucks. The event has been launched under the slogan “Himat Tuwaiq.”
Earlier, a seminar was held in the Kingdom as part of the ongoing King Abdulaziz Camel Festival titled “The Economics of Camels and their Food Products,” organised in cooperation with the King Abdulaziz Public Library in order to highlight the importance of economics within the camel food industry.
In 2021, the camel festival featured more than 70 rounds of competition for 43 days with dozens of prizes amounting to approximately SR250 million.
