Dubai: A staggering number of more than 11,000 racing camels from across the GCC will vie for grand prizes that include luxury 4WD’s and cash prizes when the 2016 Al Marmoom Heritage Festival takes place at the Al Marmoum Camel Racetrack from Sunday, March 20.
The popular 13-day festival, which can be traced back to the early 80s, will feature over 314 races at varying distances for camels of different ages and breeds and will culminate in the grand finals on April 1.
With over Dh125 million on offer in prize money, the heritage extravaganza is believed to be the biggest ever staged in the GCC region.
The winning owner of every race will also drive home with a brand new 4WD.
Highlighting the importance of the traditional Festival, Ali Saeed Bin Sarood, General Manager and CEO of the Dubai Camel Club, told a press conference on Wednesday: “We are happy to announce that the region’s biggest camel festival is back.
“Following the instructions of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and organised under the banner of the Hamdan Bin Mohammad Heritage Center (HHC), the festival promises to entertain and educate people about this heritage sport that is deep-rooted in the UAE culture and traditions.
“The festival aspires to maintain and build upon the local and traditional sport of camel racing that is very close to the hearts of all citizens in the UAE and other Gulf countries,” he added.
“We are pleased to announce that the response from camel owners from Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and of course the UAE has been overwhelming and we look forward to two weeks of high-class racing during this busy month for equestrian sport in the Emirates.
“The schedule of races includes a race for every type or breed of camels between the age of two and over five,” Bin Sarood added. “Although there are many camel races held in the Emirates during the year, this is the first festival that will be held over a period of two weeks and include races over all distances — 3km, 4km, 5km, 6km, 7km and above.”
Human jockeys have been replaced by robot jockeys that have given the sport a modern twist.
Extremely lightweight and costing a mere Dh1,000, the remote control jockey is equipped with a radio that allows his trainer to talk to the highly-trained camel and issue instructions on how fast, or slow, they should run.
As a result, training and conditioning of the camel has a big role to play in the races. How well the trainer can communicate his instructions to the camel and how well the animal responds within the space of a race, will be the difference between winning and losing.
At A Glance
What: 2016 Al Marmoom Heritage Festival
When: March 20 — April 1
Venue: Al Marmoum Camel Racetrack, Dubai Al Ain Road
Admission: Free Admission
