In 1997, Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, hosted a camel race at Abu Dhabi's Al Wathba track. The race was held for a German delegate and friend, Wilhelm Breitling, who himself had a camel farm in Germany.
What was atypical about this particular race was that the participating camel jockeys were all German women. In the famously insular male-dominated sport, this was highly unusual. However, the women had been learning to ride the camels for several weeks and were invited to the UAE by Sheikh Zayed, who was one of the most ardent patrons of camel racing in the region and wanted to promote the sport internationally.
The event was a historical one and made headlines in Germany. It also marked one of the few, if not only, instances where women participated in a camel race as jockeys. The positive outcomes of that 1997 event are still being felt today. Now, more than two decades later, the race is being cited as the inspiration behind the creation of a camel racing school that focuses on training women.
Located near Al Marmoom Heritage Village in Dubai, the Arabian Desert Camel Riding Centre (ADCRC) opened its doors in January and is billed as the UAE's first licensed centre for camel riding, training and race preparation. The centre, owned by Obaid bin Subaih Al Falasi, is managed by Shamsa Al Hajj and Linda Krockenberger, both of whom have years of camel riding experience and lead the training sessions.
"Students with no experience can join us and will eventually graduate with the required skills to also participate in camel races if they wish," Al Hajj tells The National.
While the centre does accept male students and has designated days for mixed classes, its primary focus is on training a women's team to participate in heritage races across the country. These races, held with the intention of keeping the tradition alive, generally take place between October and March and are separate from the competitive races jockeyed by robots.
Students with no experience can join us and will eventually graduate with the required skills to also participate in camel races if they wish
“The team includes more than 12 camel jockeys from several European and Arab countries,” Al Hajj says. “They all participate with courage and passion.”
While some of the women have horse riding experience, most are completely new to the sport. Al Hajj says they usually begin the training by learning how to walk and trot with the camels, first with the support of guiding camels before taking the reins freely.
“We train in the mornings and evenings and cover between eight and 12 kilometres in each session,” Al Hajj says. “The most important aspect of riding camels is to find balance within the moment with minimal support. Our education programme includes the necessary theoretical classes in how to prepare the riding equipment as well as how to care for the animals.”
Part of the motivation to open the centre, Krockenberger says, is that she couldn't find a place to develop her camel riding skills after learning how to ride two years ago during the annual camel trek held by the Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Centre.
“Once the journey from Liwa to Dubai was completed, I wanted to go find a place to continue working with these fascinating animals, especially because it was a good balance to my corporate life,” she says. “That’s how I met Shamsa [Al Hajj] and we became good friends.”
Krockenberger began honing her riding skills with Al Hajj, taking a series of long camel rides with her as often as she could. "We did a return trip to Qudra Lakes, which is 25km away, just for fun. It took a whole day but it was a chance to enjoy the camels and the desert."
Eventually, the duo decided to launch the school with the aim of making it more accessible for members of the larger UAE community to interact with camels and to also carve a space for women jockeys at the annual heritage races.
"The heritage races are where Emirati boys would be riding, across different age categories and Shamsa [Al Hajj], being a strong Emirati woman and very passionate about her heritage, said 'OK, but where's our place?'," Krockenberger says. Come October, the women's camel racing team at the ADCRC will be ready to take part in the heritage races.
Though camel racing is deeply ingrained in the UAE's culture – it was included in Unesco's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December as a UAE and Omani element – it isn't easy for most residents to participate in.
“Our mission is to make the sport available for everyone who is interested,” she says. “There is a focus on females because they didn’t have a space like this so far.”
Krockenberger said that it was important for the centre to receive an official licence from the Dubai Sports Council. She says she and Al Hajj didn't want to just make the hobby accessible to other people, but to build something that could potentially have a lasting legacy.
“We wanted to bring back the athletic aspect of camel racing,” she says. “To have the centre run by and for the community, where we can all take input from the people and our team and evolve.”
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
MATCH INFO
Jersey 147 (20 overs)
UAE 112 (19.2 overs)
Jersey win by 35 runs
Ipaf in numbers
Established: 2008
Prize money: $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.
Winning novels: 13
Shortlisted novels: 66
Longlisted novels: 111
Total number of novels submitted: 1,780
Novels translated internationally: 66
Francesco Totti's bio
Born September 27, 1976
Position Attacking midifelder
Clubs played for (1) - Roma
Total seasons 24
First season 1992/93
Last season 2016/17
Appearances 786
Goals 307
Titles (5) - Serie A 1; Italian Cup 2; Italian Supercup 2
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The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
Brief scoreline:
Crystal Palace 2
Milivojevic 76' (pen), Van Aanholt 88'
Huddersfield Town 0
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M3%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%2FUSB-4%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206E%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%2F35W%20dual-port%2F70w%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%2C%202%20Apple%20stickers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C599%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
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Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
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All about the Sevens
Cape Town Sevens on Saturday and Sunday: Pools A – South Africa, Kenya, France, Russia; B – New Zealand, Australia, Spain, United States; C – England, Scotland, Argentina, Uganda; D – Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Wales
HSBC World Sevens Series standing after first leg in Dubai 1 South Africa; 2 New Zealand; 3 England; 4 Fiji; 5 Australia; 6 Samoa; 7 Kenya; 8 Scotland; 9 France; 10 Spain; 11 Argentina; 12 Canada; 13 Wales; 14 Uganda; 15 United States; 16 Russia
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets