Published on : Friday, May 19, 2017
Traveling in an air-conditioned trailer in the midst of the Saudi Arabian desert, I was sitting on a gold-cushioned sofa close to a rich Bedouin furniture magnate. He narrates me, two days back that he had bought 10 white camels for SR60m. This he did to increase the flock of camels that he owns and will soon parade nearby at the kingdom’s annual camel beauty contest.
You heard right! It’s a beauty pageant for camels. The one most attractive will be sold for millions. Little was known that humps at the back and protrude lower lips were part of such a costly package? I spent few days witnessing the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival and talking with Bedouins about the culture of this country, innate love for the animal they often describe as the “ship of the desert’’. They also said that how winning the top prizes bestow their reputations along with bank accounts.
The event takes place in spring and continues for a month. This celebration at the same time fits into a broader storyline of the Islamic monarchy’s plan to wean itself from its oil addiction and improve its economy, with special importance on creating its budding tourism and cultural attractions, heritage offerings.
Tags: saudi arabia
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