Camels worth an estimated 270 to 492 million Saudi riyals, or 72 to 131 million dollars, took part in the final round of the Crown Prince Camel Festival held in Taif, Saudi Arabia — a total of 114 camels in competition.
Four championship races were held in the festival’s final round. Thirty-five camels competed in the first round, 13 in the second, 46 in the third and 20 in the fourth. Organised by the Saudi Camel Federation under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, this year’s festival offered total prize money of 50 million Saudi riyals, or around 13 million dollars.
Among the festival’s most prestigious awards are “Al-Saif,” or the sword, and “Al-Bunduk,” or the rifle. These are given to champions in the Hail category for female camels and the Jumul category for male camels. Winning these titles significantly boosts a camel’s prestige, breeding value and market price.
According to camel owner and racing expert Abdullah al-Sharif, a camel competing in the Hail category typically carries a market value of 3 million to 6 million Saudi riyals. Camels in the Jumul category are usually valued at 1.5 million to 2 million riyals. But some camels with the best bloodlines and competition records can fetch 7 million to 8 million riyals.
He said simply making it to the final championship can raise a camel’s value. A camel’s past success, bloodline, breeding potential, awards won and the quality of competition all play a role in determining its market price.
Saudi Camel Sports spokesman Murdhi al-Khamaili said the festival plays a role in showcasing the heritage of Saudi Arabia, the Gulf region and the wider Arab world internationally. It is no longer just a sporting competition, he said, but has become a major platform for economic, social and cultural activity. At the same time, the festival is helping to revive Taif’s historical and cultural heritage.
More than a hundred thousand camels have taken part in the Crown Prince Camel Festival since it launched in 2018. The event has already earned multiple Guinness World Records recognitions. In 2024, the festival set a record for the world’s largest camel race, with 21,637 camels taking part.
Saudi-owned camels achieved the most success across various rounds of this year’s eighth edition, winning a total of 131 heats. UAE-owned camels won 35 and Qatari camels 27. Kuwait and Oman each won three, and Bahrain’s camels won one.