Emirati breeder pays record Dh2.6 million for Omani racing camel
A top racing camel in Oman was sold to an Emirati breeder for Dh2.6 million, the highest sum paid for an Omani camel in the past 20 years.
Mohammed Al Farsi’s camel crossed the line first in Sohar last November in the annual Al Batnah race, where its performance was noticed by breeder Ali Al Suwaidi. The male, named Marzook, also won a competition in March last year in the coastal town of Sur.
Sohar is one of the biggest camel racetracks in Oman.
“Ali Al Suwaidi was apparently in Sohar watching the camel race competition. He offered me a much lower price for my camel at that time and I refused.
“But last week, he came back with the sum I wanted and we closed the deal,” Mr Al Farsi said.
He said Mr Al Suwaidi, a camel breeder from Sharjah who often travelled to Oman looking for thoroughbreds, bought Marzook for his racing ability.
In 1997, a Saudi breeder paid 195,000 rials (Dh1.9m) for an Omani racing camel that had won two competitions in the sultanate that year. Oman has more than a dozen camel racetracks and breeders from Gulf countries visit regularly to scout for bloodstock.
“It is relatively cheaper to buy good pedigree camels in Oman than in other Gulf countries because it is more economical to breed these animals here.
“Secondly, the country is the biggest after Saudi Arabia in terms of size and many breeders are scattered in different towns,” said Fardan Al Hamadani, a camel breeder in Sohar.
In 2003, Qaboos bin Said, Sultan of Oman, donated a million rials for the maintenance of camel racetracks to encourage the sport.
“The average prize for winners in Oman is around 10,000 rials, which is very modest when compared with other countries, but it is a thriving sport here,” Mr Al Hamadani said.