Camel marathon on Sunday
dubai — The third National Day Camel Marathon, organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre (HHC) in cooperation with Dubai Camel Racing Club, will take place on Sunday at the Dubai International Endurance City.
Open to all UAE citizens above 18 years old, the Camel Marathon is aimed at preserving Emirati heritage and is also part of the ongoing 46th UAE National Day celebrations. “Camel racing is one of the most enduring and centuriesold traditional sports in the UAE,” said Souad Ibrahim Darwish, director of championships at HHC.
“The National Day Camel Marathon is in line with the centre’s initiatives aimed at safeguarding our intangible cultural heritage and encouraging Emiratis to participate in traditional sports in an atmosphere that exudes a sense of national pride and community spirit. “Last year we renamed the race as the National Day Camel Marathon since it coincides with the UAE’s National Day celebrations. This year, we intend to build upon the success of last year with more participants expected,” she added.
Ali Bin Surood, director of Dubai Racing Club, said: “Camels were a key means of livelihood for the people of the Arabian Peninsula. They taught people patience and endurance and even had songs and poems written about them.”
The inaugural Camel Marathon saw the participation of 72 UAE nationals between the ages of 18 and 50. This number grew to 100 participants in the second year and is expected to grow further this year. Valuable prizes will be awarded to the winners, including cash prizes.