ALULA: The big winners of the second annual AlUla Camel Cup on Day 2 were Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. The tournament on Thursday, which took place in unusually warm temperatures, featured two races in each of the two 5 km categories, the Hagayeg and the Lagaya. Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif of Saudi Arabia won the first Hagayeg race, much to the delight of the spectators. In 5 minutes 59.3 seconds, the Prince’s camel, appropriately called AlUla, emerged victorious. Shart, owned by Emirati Mohammed Al-Kutbi, won the second Hagayeg race of the day in a time of 5:57.8.
The winners of each race took home $870,000, runners-up $266,666, and third-place winners $133,333. The remaining prize money was split among the other participants. In collaboration with the Saudi Camel Racing Federation, the Royal Commission for AlUla hosted the event as part of the AlUla Moments schedule.
Following the first edition in March of last year, the 2024 AlUla Camel Cup provides competitors and spectators with an expanded and novel experience.
Mahmoud AlBalawi, executive director of the SCRF, stated that the AlUla Camel Cup draws the top camels and riders globally, not only in the region. “Eleven camel races held under the federation’s jurisdiction throughout the season serve as the purposefully difficult qualification process for the AlUla Camel Cup.”
AlBalawi stated that the activities of the Saudi Camel Racing Federation “aim to continue to grow and improve the cherished sport of camel racing in all corners of Saudi Arabia.” The nation has about fifty camel racing tracks, including the prestigious AlUla venue that hosts the AlUla Camel Cup.
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