Taif, Saudi Arabia – The seventh day of the Crown Prince Camel Festival 2025 delivered another powerful performance from Saudi Arabia, as local camels swept to victory in the Jidhāʿ (جذاع – jidhāʿ, two-year-old camels) category. Out of the 22 heats staged on Monday, Saudi camels claimed 15 first-place finishes, reaffirming their dominance in one of the festival’s most competitive divisions.
Results Snapshot
The Jidhāʿ category, which carries a prize pool of 7.82 million SAR, saw strong international participation:
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia – 15 wins 🇶🇦 Qatar – 4 wins 🇰🇼 Kuwait – 2 wins 🇦🇪 UAE – 1 win
A total of 837 camels competed across morning and evening sessions, including 565 in the morning and 272 in the afternoon. Qatar’s entry Nadd, owned by Mohammed Nasser Al-ʿAida, posted the fastest time of the day at 7:40.294 minutes to win the opening main heat.
The Crown Prince Cups Await
The Jidhāʿ races conclude on Tuesday with four Crown Prince Festival Cups, carrying combined prizes of 4.4 million SAR. These include two Bikār (بكار – young female camels) and two Qaʿdān (قعدان – young male camels) races, open and general divisions. Winners of the Bikār Cups will take home 700,000 SAR each, while Qaʿdān champions will claim 500,000 SAR each.
Heritage in Competition
The Jidhāʿ age group has long been regarded as a decisive stage in a racing camel’s development — young enough to be fast, yet experienced enough to endure the rigors of competition. Its prominence in the Crown Prince Camel Festival reflects the sport’s deep connection to heritage, where age categories mirror the traditional life cycles of camel training.
Festival at a Glance
Now in its seventh edition, the Crown Prince Camel Festival has grown into the largest event of its kind, featuring 249 races and a record 50 million SAR in total prizes. Beyond the track, it has become an international gathering point for breeders, owners, and fans from across the Arab world, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s role as the heart of global camel racing.
As the Jidhāʿ champions prepare to be crowned, Taif once again shows why it is more than just a host city. It is the stage where heritage, sport, and national pride converge — carried on the backs of camels racing for glory.
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