Cairo: Authorities in a central Saudi region have stopped a festival for camels over organisers’ failure to comply with precautions to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Governor of Qassim Prince Faisal bin Meshal bin Saud directed stopping the event in the governorate of Deria, a local official said.
“In view of non-compliance with applying precautionary measures and preventive protocols ordered by the leadership at festivals and public events and out of his concern for safety of citizens and residents, the governor of Qassim ordered the immediate halt to the festival,” spokesman for the region Ahmed bin Abdullah added.
In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia has seen a significant drop in new coronavirus cases, allowing relaxed restrictions earlier imposed on different activities.
Camels are a popular animal closely linked to heritage in the Arabian Peninsula country.
The animal has long been dubbed as the “ship of the desert”, being the lifeline for desert dwellers. There are more than 1 million camels in Saudi Arabia where they are the centrepieces of different events, including races.
In July, Saudi Arabia launched the world’s largest hospital for treating camels and conducting related research in the region of Qassim.
