UAE | Heritage and Culture

Mazayin Al Dhafra Camel Festival kicks off

Thousands of camel owners and lovers gathered in Madinat Zayed on Tuesday morning to witness the start of the Mazayin Al Dhafra Camel Festival.

  • By Eman Mohammed, Abu Dhabi Deputy Editor
  • Published: 23:42 December 23, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • The competition will be tough this time as the number of participants is larger. Camels have a special place in the daily lives of Emiratis.
  • Image Credit: Ravindranath/Gulf News
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Madinat Zayed: Thousands of camel owners and lovers gathered in Madinat Zayed on Tuesday morning to witness the start of the Mazayin Al Dhafra Camel Festival.

Large groups of Majahim (dark-skinned camels) and Asayel camels were seen arriving at the main stage for the camel beauty contest.

The festival is held under the patronage of General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and organised for the second time by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.

Shaikh Mohammad Bin Buti Al Hamid, the Ruler's Representative in the Western Region, witnessed the opening and considered it a very important step in preserving Bedouin culture and heritage. "The competition will be tough this time as the number of participants is larger," he said.

The unique camel beauty contest saw the judging committee set out the age group for the participating camels, select the camels that qualified to participate and finally allocate points according to a special table.

Saeed Rashid Al Mazroui, head of the judging committee told Gulf News "the committee compares camels and notes their beauty in the head, neck, back and hump shape.."

Asayel camels originated from the UAE and Oman and are "known for being lighter and more friendly and mostly they are used in races as they are faster," he said.

Majahim, the dark-skinned camels, originated in Najd in Saudi Arabia and are considered harder to train, Mohammad Hamad Al Muri, head of the judging committee told Gulf News.

"They are huge, their bones are bigger and their structure is altogether stronger. .. at the same time they are beautiful with their dark colour." Camels have a special place in the daily lives of Emiratis. Abdullah Salih Al Amiri, a camel owner from Al Ain described his relationship with camels as very special.

"I came to be in touch with them ever since I was born, my father and grandfathers raised them."

As a child he was taught how to ride them.

"It's more difficult to learn than riding a horse; you have to balance more and get used to their steps," he said.

"Although they are kind animals they get mad if they are treated badly or beaten, an angry camel could bite or kick for revenge," he added.

On the other hand camels can become in touch with their owners or trainers if they are treated well - "they may understand what you are talking about," he said.

Stars of show: Beauty contest winners

Soghan, the winning camel in the first round of the beauty contest for Asayel camels is owned by Shaikh Zayed Bin Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The five-year-old camel "eats 10 kilos of hay daily in three meals, is bathed every two days and is walked slowly," Amir Bin Yarou Al Mansouri, son of the trainer told Gulf News "it has a nice character and build too," he added.

Mabrokan, the winning camel in the Majahim category is owned by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Sultan Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan and is now going to retire from taking part in beauty contests.

His owner announced the camel,which was sold last year for Dh15 million, would be retired from beauty contests to be used for breeding purposes as an authentic Majahim camel.

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