The sport was believed to have started in the 7th century and organised by Bedouin tribes as part of cultural events, ceremonies and celebrations
By Angel Tesorero, Thanweruddin Muhammad
This weekend, 40 years ago, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan spent a day with his grandchildren watching a camel race in Abu Dhabi. The rare black-and-white photo taken on July 14, 1984, by Khaleej Times photographer Mohammed Kaleem shows the UAE’s Founding Father sitting relaxed as other sheikhs and government officials were also enjoying the competition.
Camel racing is a traditional sport that has been practised for centuries on the Arabian Peninsula. It was believed to have started in the 7th century and organised by Bedouin tribes as part of cultural events, ceremonies and celebrations during weddings or birthdays.
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Camels are called “the ships of the desert” that helped the nomadic Bedouin survive for centuries. And it was only fitting that Sheikh Zayed continued the tradition for the hardy creatures that deserved to be honoured.
Leading country for camel race
In the 1980s, the UAE became the leading country for camel racing. At the time, the popular racetrack was at Nad Al Sheba. Camel racing became more popular and gained bigger financial support that led to the creation of the first Camel Racing Association in 1992 aimed at “institutionalising, formalising, and developing regulations on camel racing.”
A major innovation instituted in the UAE camel racing scene was the use of robot jockeys instead of humans. The light-weight robots, however, were controlled by the camel owners and groomers who sped alongside the racetrack in cars, directing their camels.
The first batch of robot jockeys was introduced in August 2005 and they officially took part in camel racing the following year. For safety reasons, the UAE also banned human jockeys under the age of 16 from competing in camel races. The move was fundamentally aimed at “adhering to the international regulations governing camel racing while at the same time preserving the traditional character of camel races as a popular local heritage.”
Breaking barriers
Fast forward to 2020s and the popularity of camel racing was no longer limited to Emiratis and Arabs but extended to the wider and highly-diverse UAE expat community as well.
In fact, women expats — who have never seen camels before in their own countries — have become expert riders, defying expectations and breaking barriers.
In an interview by Khaleej Times in May this year, 40-year-old German adventurer Jana Schmiedel said camel racing was entirely new to her and she had never considered camel racing until she befriended a local Emirati family in Al Ain.
Her interest grew and she developed a deeper connection with the majestic animals beyond the racetrack. Now, she feels privileged to be among the first female camel jockeys to promote the sport for women.
On November 14, 2021, Khawla Al Balooshi and Hakima Ghaith became the first Emirati women jockeys who participated in a camel race organised by Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre (HHC) at the modern Dubai Camel Racing Club’s Al Marmoom Race Track.
Women camel riders gained more strides and in October 2023, the UAE’s first all-female camel racing team completed a gruelling 100km ride to Wadi Rum, Jordan after competing in Saudi Arabia’s debut women-only camel race at the Crown Prince Camel Festival in August last year.
Emirati tradition lives on
Looking back at the photo of Sheikh Zayed from 40 years ago – with two of his granddaughters beside him enjoying a camel race – one can say that the UAE has not only kept alive the centuries-old camel racing but also helped spread the traditional sport to different people and cultures of the world.