Saudi Arabia launches camel documentation project

Cairo: Camel owners in Saudi Arabia have started applying for documenting strains of their animals as part of a unique project using DNA tests to preserve rare species of camels.

Registration, conducted on an ad-hoc portal, entails different data on camels including the DNA.

The Saudi Camel Club, which oversees the project, said each applicant will get an ID card for the camel containing all related data.

Documenting camels aims to preserve famous and rare species of camels by setting up a DNA-based data base, the club added in a statement.

The portal comprises data of camel owners, allowing them to browse and get electronic documents on their animals

The project, which gradually aims to document all camels in the kingdom, is technically and medically supervised by the club, the King Faisal Specialised Hospital and the national research centre.

Camels are a popular animal closely linked to heritage in Saudi Arabia. The animal has long been dubbed as the “ship of the desert”, being the lifeline for desert dwellers.

The kingdom annually hosts the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, the world’s such biggest pageant.

Species documentation will be mandatory for participating in the upcoming edition of the famed festival, according to the club.