The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Camel Festival concludes: The Prince of Riyadh crowns the winners

Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may God protect him, His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh Region, attended the closing ceremony of the third edition of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Camel Festival on Sunday evening. The grand event was held at the historic Janadriyah Camel Racing Track, with wide participation from 11 countries, reflecting the growing international stature of this time-honored sport.

Official reception and high-level attendance

Upon his arrival at the venue, His Royal Highness the Prince of Riyadh was received by His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and His Highness Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, President of the Saudi Camel Racing Federation, along with a number of senior officials and those interested in camel racing. The ceremony began with the Royal Anthem, marking the start of the awards ceremony and the celebration of the winners in this grand heritage event.

Camel racing: A cultural heritage and a vision for the future

The organization of this festival stems from the wise leadership's commitment to promoting the cultural heritage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where camel racing is an integral part of national identity and authentic Arab history. The Kingdom, represented by the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Camel Racing Federation, is working to develop this sport and elevate it to international standards, in line with the objectives of Vision 2030, which seeks to solidify pride in national heritage and establish the Kingdom as a global destination for major sporting and cultural events.

Details of the races and the million-dollar prizes

The final day witnessed fierce competition across four main races covering a distance of 6 kilometers, with the participation of 65 elite camels. The organizing committee allocated substantial prize money exceeding 75 million riyals, underscoring the significant support this sport enjoys and motivating owners and trainers from within the Kingdom and abroad to deliver their best performances.

Results of the final rounds and crowning of the winners

Prince Faisal bin Bandar crowned the winners of the top positions, and the detailed results were as follows:

• First round (general camels): The camel “Al Ghazal” won the title with a time of 12:40.253 minutes, and the Emirati owner, Mohammed Al Muhairi, was crowned with the rifle and the trainer’s shield.
• The second round (Zamoul - Open): The camel "Nahab" achieved first place with a time of 12:33.278 minutes, and the title went to the UAE Presidential Camels and the trainer Hamdan Al Muhairi.
• Third round (Hail - General): The camel “Aaliyah” won first place with a time of 12:27.890 minutes, and the Emirati owner Ahmed Al-Khabili received the sword and the cup.
• The fourth round (Open): The camel “Al-Haba” won the title with a time of 12:17.193 minutes, crowning the Qatari Al-Shahaniya camels with the sword, and the trainer Faran Al-Marri with the cup.

In a remarkable achievement, Emirati owner Hamad Al Ameri won the "Saudi Sword" award and a prize of 3 million riyals after accumulating 196.5 points during the festival's competitions. The ceremony concluded with His Royal Highness the Prince of Riyadh honoring the sponsors and organizing committees that contributed to the success of this international event.