Camel racing

📖 In short

Camel racing is a traditional Arab sport where fast camels race on long tracks in the desert. Racing camels, called “hijn”, are a slender, light kind of camel trained to race. It's very popular in the Arabian Peninsula, especially in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Oman.

🤩 Did you know?

A racing camel weighs roughly between 500 and 600 kilograms.
Races are 8 to 10 kilometers long, and can be up to 22 kilometers.
A racing camel can run faster than 40 kilometers an hour.
Fast, purebred camels are called “hijn” or “dhalul”.

🔎 Find out more

🌟 Racing camels

Racing camels are thin and graceful, long-legged, fast and tough. Their owners take great care of them, feeding them dates, milk and barley and training them every morning.

🔍 The robot jockey

Boys used to ride the camels in races, then they were replaced by a small, light “robot jockey” placed on the camel's back, which the trainer controls from a car driving alongside the track.

💡 Big festivals

Huge camel racing festivals are held, like the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival in Saudi Arabia, attended by thousands of people and with big prizes.

🎯 Heritage and tradition

Camel racing isn't just a sport but part of the Arabs' heritage and their love of camels, which have been with them in the desert for thousands of years.