The Saudi Camel Racing Federation officially announced the adoption of the timetable for the third edition of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Camel Festival, revealing details of the largest edition in the history of the festival, as the organizing committee allocated unprecedented financial prizes exceeding 75 million Saudi riyals, reflecting the major qualitative leap witnessed by the camel sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The event kicked off in Al-Araqa Square
According to the approved schedule, the festival is set to kick off on January 23rd at the historic Janadriyah Square in Riyadh. The festivities will continue for 10 consecutive days of excitement and challenge, featuring 225 diverse races for owners and trainers.
The choice of the Janadriyah field has a deep symbolic significance, as it represents the memory of Saudi heritage and is the home of major national festivals, which gives the competitions a character that blends the authenticity of the past with the modernity of the organization.
Details of the financial prizes and their distribution
In a detailed breakdown of the prize money, the largest of its kind, the federation explained that the total prize money for the general, open, and camel racing categories reached 35.9 million riyals, while 36.4 million riyals were allocated for the cup and symbol races, which typically witness fierce competition among top owners. An additional 2.7 million riyals were earmarked for the beauty contests held alongside the festival.
The distribution of prizes across the camel age categories reflects comprehensive support for all stages, with 16.18 million riyals allocated to the "Haqayiq" category, 14.3 million riyals to the "Laqaya" category, 12.916 million riyals to the "Jathaa" category, and 10.284 million riyals to the "Thanaya" category. The "Heel and Zamoul" category received a substantial share of 17.68 million riyals.
Diversity of events and major symbols
The festival's activities are not limited to traditional camel races, but also include a human-rider camel race, with 564,000 riyals allocated for the men's race and 376,000 riyals for the women's race, in a step that confirms the festival's inclusiveness and its support for all segments of society to practice this authentic sport.
All eyes are on the major prizes, with the list including 36 trophies and four prestigious symbols (a sword and a rifle) that will go to the winners of the final rounds. Everyone is eagerly anticipating the final day, which will witness competition for the festival's most valuable prize money of 2.5 million riyals, awarded to the owner of the winning "Open" and "General" races.
Economic and cultural dimensions and leadership support
This festival goes beyond being a sporting event to become an important economic and cultural contributor; raising the value of the prizes directly contributes to stimulating buying and selling in the camel markets, and encourages owners to acquire rare breeds, thus enhancing the preservation of this heritage.
This great momentum comes thanks to the unlimited support that the camel sector enjoys from the wise leadership - may God support it - which pays special attention to developing heritage sports and connecting the emerging generations with their history, in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which seeks to consolidate the Kingdom’s position as a leading global destination for culture, heritage and sports.
