Rashid Ismail's father, Mohammed Ismail, founded Bait al Thiqa, a company in Dubai that builds robot jockeys for camel racing. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National
Bait Al Thiqa started in 2006 with just two employees and now employs more than 65 people at its three branches in the UAE.
While most of the parts are made in China, all robots are assembled in Dubai by Bait Al Thiqa engineers.
Robots being assembled at the Bait al Thiqa workshop in Lahab, Dubai.
The UAE was one of the first countries in the world to ban child jockeys in 2004. The use of robot jockeys has been rising in popularity ever since.
Robot jockeys typically have motorised arms for a whip, and reins, the former attached to an adapted power drill that rotates it at a speed controlled by an operator in a vehicle following the racing camels.
The robots can be customised with the owner's racing colours.
Staff at Bait Al Thiqa assemble robot jockeys at a workshop in Lahab, Dubai.
Bait Al Thiqa founder Mohammed Ismail was a former camel trainer in Dubai.
Camel racing is hugely popular across the Gulf with some tournament prizes totalling millions of dirhams.
A worker at Bait Al Thiqa puts the finishing touches to a robot.
Bait Al Thiqa robots cost between Dh1,000 and Dh2,000 depending on specifications.
The company sells between 65 and 00 units a month during peak season.
Each robot takes about an hour to assemble – most of the parts are manufactured by the company's partners in China.
A staff member assembling the robot's motorised arms used as a whip.
All robot jockeys can be customised to meet client requirements.
Bait Al Thiqa sales are worth Dh200,000 to Dh300,000 a month during camel racing season.
