Dubai: Camel trekkers from 7 countries to arrive in Global Village

Dubai: With less than 100km left in their journey, the group of 11 Emiratis and expats who embarked on a 10-day camel trek in celebration of the UAE’s 49th National Day is expected to arrive at Dubai Global Village on December 8. The trekkers, composed of eight women and three men, are from the UAE, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Russia, South Africa and Spain. They are participants in the 7th Camel Trek, organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC).

They began their journey from Liwa’s Empty Quarters in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi on November 29 with the aim of covering around 550km of the vast UAE desert area before reaching their destination at the Heritage Village inside Dubai’s Global Village.

Abdullah Hamdan bin Dalmook, CEO of HHC, is leading the camel caravan composed of Sarah Steck, Gesa Eggeling, Jana Christin Schmiedel and Martina Kaiser from Germany; Emilie Chapant and Anna Aiko from France; Marian Valero from South Africa; Danuse Zdenkova (Czech Republic); Nonna Akopian (Russia); Ignacio Delgado(Spain) and Essa Al Swaidi from the UAE.

Bin Dalmook said the camel trek is a celebration of “the UAE’s 49th National Day and a fitting tribute to the UAE’s glorious history. It is also a travel back in time as the camel riders are living a nomadic life, deprived of modern technology and are relying on their camels — the so-called ships of the desert — to cross the vast expanse of the UAE desert.”

In a video shared by HHC to Gulf News, the camel trekkers are shown starting their day early foggy morning. After keeping their individual tents and finishing a traditional Emirati breakfast, they feed their camels and prepare the saddle before embarking on a 50-km daily desert journey. “Everyone in the group has a task and they are doing their duties very well,” according to HHC. From Liwa, the convoy has already passed through the following areas: Wasit, Al Khais, Arabian Oryx Sanctuary - Al Janai, Umm Al Anz, Bu Qurain North of Razeen, the forests of Al Haffar, Al-Ajban and Saih Al-Salam.

Spanish national Ignacio Delgado described his journey like a desert magic. “I have been living in the UAE for the five years and working as a chemical engineer in a private company, but this was the first time I have seen the magic of the desert,” explained the camel trekker who is originally from Barcelona. He added: “When I told my family in Spain about this trip, they were all excited. I told them it was like the Dakar Desert Rally but instead of riding a four-wheeler, we are riding a camel and doing the voyage the traditional way, which makes the experience more interesting and an opportunity to explore completely different things.”

Learned riding a camel in two months 8 French expat Emilie Chapant, meanwhile, mastered riding a camel in just two months of training before joining the caravan. She has described the journey so far as ‘unbelievable’. “It (joining the camel trek) did not cross my mind in the past but now I’m in the middle of this charming desert and I have gained a lot of experience that will change my perspective in life,” she said.

Another participant in the trek, South African national Marian Valero added: “There are many beautiful places and things to see here (in the desert). I would recommend the expats to discover these themselves.” The HHC earlier said: “The Camel Trek requires a high level of fitness and training to join the desert voyage. Participants have to learn how to travel in a convoy, apart from getting familiar with life in the desert. But it always offers a unique desert experience on how to live the old ways of the Bedouins and at the same time, forge camaraderie with the participants.”