These ungulates may not be able to twirl a baton or wish for world peace, but this weekend camel beauty queens reign supreme. Liz Totton investigates the Al Dhafra Camel festival.
More than 30,000 beautiful camels and their owners from all over the Gulf region will converge upon Al Dhafra, a remote desert town on the edge of the Empty Quarter in the western region of Abu Dhabi to compete for 55 million dirhams in prize money, luxury cars, fame and family pride.
The Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee of Abu Dhabi is responsible for the eighth edition of Al Dhafra festival, which will take place from December 20, 2014 to January 1, 2015. The festival takes place in Madinat Zayed, which is located in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi. The festival draws a large turnout every year as it occurs during the school and university holidays.
Abdullah Butti Al Qubaisi, director of project management at the Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee explains that, ‘The Al Dhafra festival has turned into a special occasion and an annual gathering spot for all the people of the GCC. The organising committee is determined to develop more diverse and interesting activities to offer visitors and to promote our local culture and heritage.’
The festival aspires to preserve the cultural heritage of Abu Dhabi and to protect the legacy of Emirati traditions. Another aim of the Al Dhafra festival, according to Abdullah, is, ‘To bring tourists to the area to discover the beauty of the Empty Quarter and to stimulate economic activity in Madinat Zayed.’ The Western Region is home to grand desert vistas in addition to some of the most beautiful camels in the world.
The festival offers two weeks of fun events and activities, such as camel and saluki races, falcon hunting competitions and purebred Arabian horse races. There will also be date, photography, handicrafts and classic cars competitions, a camel auction and a traditional market.
The big highlight of the festival is the camel beauty pageant, which is held for two breeds of camels distinguished by their colouring. These are the light-coloured Asayel, native to the UAE and Oman, and the darker-coloured Majahim, from Saudi Arabia.
The pageant is the Middle Eastern equivalent of a dog show, where the animals are paraded around and marked on their overall appearance.
But just what are the judges looking for in a camel? What exactly defines a beautiful one?
The judges apparently look for camels with large heads, wide necks, firm ears, broad cheeks and long whiskers. The camel’s body should be long, their hump and the back must be big, their coat should be shiny and, just like in human beauty pageants, a camel’s posture is of the utmost importance as is the way a camel conducts itself.
Visitors can experience a camel beauty pageant every day of the two week-long festival. There are five Asayel and four Majahim competitions held every day. Each competition starts with 100 camels, from which judges pick the 50 most beautiful, then eliminate the pool of beauty queens to 10 daily winners.
Owners of the top 10 camels receive prizes, which can be anything from luxury cars to cash prizes.
If you do decide to venture out this year to Al Dhafra, you will not be alone. Abdullah informs us that, ‘Since the launch of the first event in 2008, the festival has witnessed unparalleled success. Over a relatively short period of time, it has managed to turn into an international and regional event. People come to experience the authentic Bedouin spirit, which is very much instilled in UAE nationals. We expect the number of people coming out to be well into the thousands.’
People also come to experience the historical Middle East of the classic tale 1,001 Arabian Nights. Abdullah adds that this festival is put on to, ‘Reinforce the bond between the past and the present of the Emirati citizens and to educate our guests in our traditional ways.’
You may visit the festival to see some camel beauty queens, but you will leave with a better appreciation for the history of the UAE. This is your chance to mix and mingle with local people, learn about UAE culture, have the chance to encounter a camel beauty queen, or simply to escape the concrete jungle and roam around the vast Empty Quarter.
Free. Dec 20, 2014-Jan 1, 2015. Al Dhafra Festival, Madinat Zayed, Al Gharbia. Visit www.aldhafrafestival.ae for timings and a calendar or events (800 555).
