ABU DHABI – More than 10,000 camels from across the Gulf will be competing for millions of dollars in prize money at a beauty pageant for the “ship of the desert†in Abu Dhabi this week.
AFP reports that the contest is part of a camel festival being staged in the capital of the United Arab Emirates which aims to celebrate and preserve the region’s cultural heritage.
Camels from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia will strut their stuff before a panel of expert judges who will decide which owners should be awarded prize money totalling many million of dollars.
One hundred cars are also up for grabs.
“Preserving the rich heritage of the UAE and passing it on to future generations constitutes one of the most important missions which people of the UAE wish to undertake, by connecting our culturally rich past with our aspired bright and prosperous future,†the official WAM news agency quoted festival organiser Mohammed al-Mazrouei as saying.
