Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
The final race day of the Al Marmoom Heritage Festival will be held on Thursday at its base in Dubai, marking a crescendo after 12 race days and an extensive racing programme comprising 333 races.
Organised by the Dubai Camel Racing Club at Al Marmoom Camel Racetrack, the finale will bring together the region’s most elite stables for a day defined by heritage, scale and competition, while offering the public the opportunity to experience camel racing up close.
With a total prize purse of Dh8,950,000 ($2.46 million), the final day stands as one of the most significant fixtures in the GCC camel racing calendar. Attendance is free.
The day out invites residents and visitors alike to engage with and learn about one of the UAE’s most historic sports in its most elevated form, where centuries-old tradition meets modern performance, precision breeding and elite competition.
With more than 6,000 camels from across the UAE and the wider Gulf region, the event is reaffirmed as a cornerstone event in the camel racing calendar.
Royal and presidential entries from across the region will take to the track, including presidential camels from Hijn Al Riyassa, Abu Dhabi, alongside leading stables such as Hijn Zabeel & Hijn Al Asifa from Dubai, and Hijn Al Shahaniya from Qatar, setting the stage for a true GCC showdown shaped by years of investment in genetics, training and performance science.
The final programme features the sport’s most prestigious categories, including the Golden Saddle for Arabian Purebred male camels (local) and the Golden Khanjar for Arabian Purebred female camels (local), each carrying a first prize of Dh500,000, alongside the Golden Rifle for Open Category male camels (mixed/crossbreed) with a top prize of Dh1,000,000, and the Golden Sword, known as the “Sword of the Emirates”, for Open Category female camels, awarding Dh2,000,000 to the winner.
Raced over eight kilometres, with winning times expected to fall under 13 minutes, the competition blends speed and strategy with longstanding traditions, including the ceremonial application of saffron paste to the winning camels at the finish line.
Beyond the racing, the finale is designed as an immersive cultural experience, watching the action on the tourist Big Bus for free, spectators can follow the race alongside the track, take in uninterrupted views from the grandstand and witness the post-race celebrations.
Visitors are encouraged to arrive from 1.30pm to fully experience the race-day atmosphere as it builds towards the closing moments of the festival.
Ample parking is available at the venue along on Al Ain Road.
