First winners of Al Dhafra camel beauty contest announced

Western Region: The first winners of the Camel Beauty Competition at the Al Dhafra Camel Beauty Competition have been announced.

Four female camels belonging to UAE national Khalfan Bin Sendih Al Mansouri bagged the top four out of 10 places in the one-year-old category, with scores ranging from 94 to 88. Among the prizes awarded to Al Mansouri, who registered the camels under the names of his sons, Abdulla, Rashid and Mohammad Hamad, were a Nissan 4WD, a Chevrolet Tahoe, a Toyota pickup and Dh30,000 in cash.

"I'm very happy to have won the top four positions in this category … the festival is a great platform for us to showcase our culture and heritage with pride and encourage our children to safeguard these traditions," Al Mansouri said.

Over 20,000 camels will compete daily for prizes worth Dh40 million in addition to 155 Range Rovers and Nissan Patrols at the 12-day festival, which will end on December 28.