In 2006, two years after the UAE became the first country in the world to ban boys under 16 from riding racing camels, camel trainer Mohammed Ismail had a business idea that would change his and his family's fortune for ever.
Ismail, who was making a side income by building and selling remote-controlled car and plane toys from his tiny Dubai home, decided to take advantage of the growing demand for robot jockeys, motorised devices that ensure human safety. Calling his company Bait Al Thiqa, or the House of Trust, it would take him a few years of hard work to find his footing.
"It was not easy at first because he didn't really succeed with those toy cars and aeroplanes," says Rashid, 23, Ismail's son, who now runs the business with his father. "I remember growing up we were very poor, and would have problems with water and food every month on dad's Dh600 salary from camel training."
Using his deep knowledge of camels and his contacts in the camel-racing business, Ismail's perseverance eventually paid off, as demand for the robots grew not just in the UAE, but across the Arabian Gulf.
Today, Bait Al Thiqa is one of the largest robot jockey suppliers in the UAE and, according to Rashid, is "the oldest and best shop in the entire Middle East".
"We build and repair robots and supply to clients across the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia," Rashid tells The National. "We sell to all kinds of clients, from people doing it for fun to those taking parts in the competition.
"We design all the robots ourselves and give the best quality. Every single part is made by us."
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 the operator who follows in one of the vehicles accompanying the speeding camels. Some models can also monitor the camel's speed and even its heart rate. They also incorporate a built-in saddle and can be customised with the owner's racing colours.
Camel racing is hugely popular across the Gulf. At the first annual Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Camel Race Festival in 2018, prizes, including cash, swords, rifles and luxury vehicles, totalled a whopping Dh95 million ($25.86 million).
When Bait Al Thiqa first opened, Ismail, who is now 50, had two workers with him, building and assembling all their robots. Today, the company has 65 full-time staff.
During peak season, which starts in February, the company sells between 65 and 100 units a month and about 5 to 10 a month when there are no races.
"The rest of the time is spent servicing and repairing used robots or customising existing ones," Rashid says.
Robots at Bait Al Thiqa cost between Dh1,000 and Dh2,000, depending on specifications. Each unit takes about an hour to assemble, with most of the parts being manufactured by the company's partners in China.
"We have experienced engineers in the shop who can make any kind of changes internally if necessary. We also now have many clients coming from Canada and the US. There are many companies that make better-looking and sleeker models than us, but none that can work as well and as dependable as ours," Rashid says.
Bait Al Thiqa makes sales worth about Dh200,000 to Dh300,000 every month, going up to Dh1 million to Dh3 million during peak season, Rashid says.
"We never expected life to change like this," he says. "When I was 13, we lived in a tiny house made mostly of plastic, now we have three homes and I drive my own car. God has been good."
Biography
Favourite book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Holiday choice: Anything Disney-related
Proudest achievement: Receiving a presidential award for foreign services.
Family: Wife and three children.
Like motto: You always get what you ask for, the universe listens.
Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
The five pillars of Islam
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT
Uruguay 3 Russia 0
Uruguay: Suárez (10'), Cheryshev (23' og), Cavani (90')
Russia: Smolnikov (Red card: 36')
Man of the match: Diego Godin (Uruguay)
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
Tips for SMEs to cope
- Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
- Make sure you have an online presence
- Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
- Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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South Korea
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MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
Ireland (15-1):
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
57%20Seconds
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rusty%20Cundieff%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJosh%20Hutcherson%2C%20Morgan%20Freeman%2C%20Greg%20Germann%2C%20Lovie%20Simone%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULTS
6.30pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Final Song, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
Winner Almanaara, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Grand Argentier, Brett Doyle, Doug Watson.
8.15pm Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Major Partnership, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
8.50pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
Winner Universal Order, Richard Mullen, David Simcock.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now