The UAE camel 'Sham'a', owned by Mohammed Al-Amri, clinched the title of the main first heat in the 'Laqaya' category and recorded the best time on the fifth day of the Crown Prince Camel Festival 2026 in Taif, covering the 4-kilometer distance in 6:05.114 minutes at a top speed of 39.440 km/h, according to the organizing committee.
The festival, now in its eighth edition, runs until September 13 under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with total prizes exceeding 50 million Saudi riyals and the participation of 845 camels. On this day, UAE and Omani camels dominated six heats, Saudi camels won two, and Qatari and Kuwaiti camels each took one.
In the 'Mazayen' (beauty) competitions, introduced for the first time in the festival's history in collaboration with the Camel Club, the organizing committee announced winners in several individual categories, including Abdullah Qashaan, Mohammed bin Khazam, Majed Al-Otaibi, Ayed bin Rafaan, and Fahad Al-Saadi, who claimed first place and the festival cup in their respective heats.
This addition aims to develop camel sport into an integrated sporting and economic industry aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, with the 'Mazayen' competitions spanning three main days dedicated to the 'Mufarid' category.