Riyadh 'em cowboy: Saudi Arabia hosts world's biggest camel festival

Crown Prince Camel Festival breaks Guinness World Record for the world's largest camel sporting event after over 11,000 camels participated in 787 rounds of competition

The Crown Prince Camel Festival ran for 42 days until yesterday, Saturday September 22. 

A festival in Saudi Arabia that ran for 42 days and featured 11,186 camels has won a Guinness World Record for being the largest ever event of its type.

The Crown Prince Camel Festival, which finished on September 22 and took place in Taif, near Riyadh, involved 787 rounds of competition over $14m (Dh52m) worth of prizes awarded for speed, good looks and breeding.

Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, president of the Saudi Arabian Camel Federation, accepted the official certificate as the event closed. Yesterday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, visited the mammoth festival.

Even as the country modernises, the festival's aim is to showcase and boost the camel racing heritage of the Kingdom and Gulf Arab countries. The event unfolds in four phases, with key races taking place at weekends. At top speed, camels can reach up to 40kph in short bursts.

Also featured were sports, cultural and entertainment activities alongside educational workshops for camel owners and visitors interested in camel sports.

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