Over 10,000 at the contest

ABU DHABI-More than 10,000 camels from all across the Gulf region gathered in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, on the outskirts of Zayed City for the opening of Mazayin Dhafra Camel Festival, which started on Wednesday and will continue until April 10.

The quiet sand dunes, where the occasional local resident would ride up and down in the weekends, have been transformed into a vast Bedouin city. Pretty camels of all colours and ages, four-wheel cars driving in all directions free of any traffic rules, white tents enveloped in the scent of freshly brewed Arabic coffee, police and ambulance cars, an old-fashioned colourful souq where Bedouin ladies in black veils and gloves invite the early guests to home-made dates jam, perfumes and an endless variety of shiny accessories for the house, the camel, the horse and the loved ones — were all bringing the desert alive from the early hours of the morning.
The festival started with four competitions in the morning and two more in the afternoon. As it will be the case for the next couple of days, the camels on the "catwalk" were all the yellow Asayel (pedigree), the Majahim (dark-skinned) ones competing in the second part of the festival.
As the judges explained, this first lot of camels was three-year-olds, all purebred. Personality did not play much of a role in choosing the "queens", who all received a silky cover, but they were judged for their height, body and legs proportion, hair, neck, back bump and chest.
The first three winners of each round received a 4x4 vehicle (first position), a Toyota pick-up (second position) and cash prize of Dh30,000 (third prize). The afternoon session was seriously threatened by strong winds that were stirring the dust high up into the air, but the winds moved away, the VIP guests arrived and the show went on.
From a few dozens camels, 10 made it to the finals, before the top three were chosen. "I like the choice of these 10," said Shaikh Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti, Undersecretary of Western Region Ruler's Representative.
Both him and Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Director-General of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), the main organiser of the festival, left the soft water sprinkled stadium, to get up close and personal with the winning camels.
"I have camels, too, but I wouldn't know which ones to choose as winners," admitted Shaikh Abdulla.
He also told Khaleej Times that although the festival needs some improvements, he is very pleased how it turned out. "This is definitely a festival that is here to stay and it will become better and better," concluded Shaikh Abdulla.

Khaleej Times