All eyes of camel racing enthusiasts and sports fans will turn tomorrow, Tuesday, to Taif and its historic racecourse, as the seventh edition of the Crown Prince Camel Festival kicks off, organized by the Saudi Camel Racing Federation.
The festival begins with 92 races in the Ḥaqāyiq category over three days, run in morning and evening sessions. The participating camels will cover a combined distance of 184 km, with each heat set at 2 km. The opening stage concludes on the third evening with four Crown Prince Camel Festival Cup races in the Ḥaqāyiq category.
The organizing committee confirmed full readiness of the historic Taif track to welcome one of the world’s most important camel festivals. According to the program announced on August 2, the event will feature 249 races across all approved categories, in addition to five races for male and female riders, with total prize money surpassing SAR 50 million.
Preparations included resurfacing and upgrading the 10 km track to meet international standards. The racecourse is designed with six asphalt lanes—three inner tracks, two outer tracks for owners, and a dedicated media lane for broadcasters. The course is enclosed by an external fence, measuring 40 meters wide at the starting line and 12 meters at the finish line. It is also the only camel racecourse among Saudi Arabia’s 45 tracks to be powered by solar lighting, both on the main and secondary courses.
Since its launch in 2018, the festival has become a flagship annual event in Saudi Arabia’s cultural and sporting calendar, aiming to preserve and promote camel heritage as part of the Kingdom’s identity. It continues to attract growing audiences from inside and outside the Kingdom.
Beyond sport, the festival has generated significant economic and developmental impact, hosting cultural activities that strengthen folk traditions and enhance the Kingdom’s role as a guardian of heritage.
The event has also earned five local and international awards, including four Guinness World Records: two in 2018 (largest number of camels participating in a festival and the world’s largest illuminated camel sculpture), one in 2019, and another in 2024. In 2023, it also received the Makkah Award for Economic Excellence in recognition of its contributions to cultural and economic vitality.
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