UAE | Heritage and Culture

Camel festival sees record sales of more than Dh37m

eight days of Al Dhafra Camel Festival saw more than Dh37 million of sales, Hamad Bin Kardous, a member of the organising committee told Gulf News.

  • By Eman Mohammed, Abu Dhabi Deputy Editor
  • Published: 23:46 December 30, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Camel auction in progress on the seventh day of the Mazayin Al Dhafra Camel Festival at the Zayed city in the western region, Abu Dhabi. The event is scheduled to close tomorrow.
  • Image Credit: Ravindranath/Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: The eight days of Al Dhafra Camel Festival saw more than Dh37 million of sales, Hamad Bin Kardous, a member of the organising committee told Gulf News.

The festival, which has been organised by Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage started on December 23 and is set to end on Thursday. Organisers say they expect sales to soar on Wednesday and Thursday, as the event comes to a close.

Camel owners who would like to sell their animals have been requested to follow the laid down rules, which stipulate that "the first ten camels which had earlier won the beauty contest, should not participate in the event, after having being sold." While stressing the terms and conditions of the auction, Bin Kardous said: "Though the registered numbers of sold camels are high, there are some owners who failed to register and sold their camels without informing the committee.

Prices doubled

"These owners should get in touch with the committee and find out about the position regarding participation of their camels, either in the contest or auction."

The camel pageant has attracted high profile people who are known for their good quality camels and the prices doubled because only the best camels were put up for auction.

The most expensive camel was sold for Dh5 million and another group of 25 camels was sold for Dh12 million.

Last April when the first camel festival was organised, the total sales reached Dh8 million.

According to Rashid A Marar, the man in charge of camel auction, the event has elicited interest among many people and the initial auction area had to be moved near the camel manors as more people registered.

On the first night of the auction four camels were sold for a total of Dh57,000, the second night of the auction saw five camels going for a total of Dh80,000, seven camels were sold on the third night, for a total of Dh160,000.

On Monday, nine camels were sold for Dh250,000.

"Some owners din't like the auction prices so they decided to sell their camels for higher costs. A camel that stood in the seventh place in one of the beauty laps was sold for Dh150,000," Al Marar said.

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