The eighth edition of the Crown Prince Camel Festival 2026 draws to a close tomorrow at the historic Taif camel racing track, with 20 rounds scheduled for the Al Heil and Al Zamoul categories, led by four headline races competing for the festival's Al Saif and Al Bandaq trophies, carrying a total prize pool of SAR 10.9 million, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The morning session features 16 rounds over a distance of six kilometres, split between general and open races with combined prizes of SAR 1.3 million, while the evening programme is reserved for the four closing rounds. Camels will compete for the festival's Bandaq in the Zamoul general and Zamoul open categories, and for the festival's Saif in the Heil general and Heil open categories, with the winner of each Heil race receiving SAR 1.5 million.
Across its eighth edition, the festival staged 248 rounds spanning the Al Hagaig, Al Lagaia, Al Jithaa, Al Thanaya, Al Heil and Zamoul categories, alongside the Saudi-bred production races, while the Al Mazayen competitions were introduced to the festival programme for the first time. The event is held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, organised by the Saudi Camel Racing Federation, with total prize money exceeding SAR 50 million.