Saudi Arabia: Stray camel causes serious road crash

Cairo: A young man has been seriously injured after his car crashed into a stray camel west of Riyadh, according to a Saudi media report.

The mishap happened on a village road in the Al Quwayiyah governorate early Saturday, reported the news portal Sabq.

The man sustained severe injuries after his vehicle collided with the stray animal. The injured man was initially taken to a local hospital. He was later transferred to a hospital affiliated with the First Health Cluster in Riyadh to receive further medical treatment. There is no word yet about his health condition.

In recent years, Saudi authorities have stepped up measures to curb the dangers posed by stray animals to motorists.

Authorities have urged owners of camels in the kingdom to register them, saying that undocumented camels are not allowed to be sold, bought or have their ownership transferred.

The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture said under the law, failure to register camels makes their owners liable to penalties.

Registering camels, the ministry explained, helps set up a data base facilitating their sale and ownership transfer as well as providing information on their numbers, species, geographical distribution and giving their owners access to services.

The non-registration of camels and leaving them stray may cause fatal incidents on roads, a situation that makes their owners liable to penalties when they attempt to sell them or transfer their ownership.