King Abdulaziz Camel Festival

King Abdulaziz Camel Festival is a Saudi event held in the southern As-Sayahid of the Ad-Dahna desert, north-east of the capital, Riyadh, devoted to the heritage of camels, their beauty contests, their races and the accompanying activities.[1]

The festival is built around camel beauty contests, camel races, camel branding and hajij competitions, and it brings camel owners from different countries of the world together in a single place.[1]

As-Sayahid extends over an area of more than 225 square kilometres north-east of the capital, Riyadh, at a distance of 120 km from it, and it is the site that hosts the festival in the Ad-Dahna desert to the north-east of Riyadh.[1]

The site contributes to raising the economic value of camels to as much as more than 4 billion riyals, and it hosts competitions that bring camel owners from different countries of the world together.[1]

The King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah) took charge of preparing and organising the festival and the activities accompanying it, to be held during 1438 AH/2017, under royal directives that the Foundation organise and supervise it.[2]

The royal order of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to establish a “Camel Club” embodied his care for the people of the country, its history, its culture and its heritage, and his patronage of those interested in this valued heritage and the economic importance it represents for them and for the nation.[4]

The electronic chip issued by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has become the only document recognised at the festival, with the two conditions of qism and wasm waived except in the Club Cup class.[5] The developments also covered the Banner of the Founder class, which was reduced to 80 camels instead of 100, with the exception of the Hamr and Shaqah colours, while the numbers in the Sword of the King class rose to 60 instead of 50 and in the Shalfa of the Crown Prince class to 40 instead of 30 camels.[5]

Participants in the festival compete for several prizes, among them the Sword of the King, the Shalfa of the Crown Prince, the Banner of the Founder, the Club Cup and Elite of the Elite, in addition to the camel branding, hajij and hajan competitions.[1]

In the third edition, the organising committees set aside two days for the competitions of the camel branding contest, which the festival alone holds at the level of the Arab world; it is held at the King Abdulaziz Field in the southern As-Sayahid of the Ad-Dahna desert.[8]

The King Abdulaziz Award for Folk Literature, one of the festival's activities, complements national efforts to support Arabic literature through its three branches — shilat, nazm and muhawara — and electronic registration is a condition for taking part in it.[12]

The general camel auction in the southern As-Sayahid of the Ad-Dahna desert comprises 188 camel pens that accommodate the growth in their numbers and the movement of buying and selling, with cash payment prohibited and the safety of the camels to be sold guaranteed.[6]

In the third edition, the number of participants in the first Elite Auction for camel beauty contests exceeded 110 subscribers; it is the first of its kind in the world specialising in rare camels, and its market value exceeds 100 million riyals.[7]

The second edition recorded 1,914 electronic registrations and 38,303 camels registered across the various specified classes, and the Maghahim class drew the largest presence, with Gulf participation that included 103 participants from the State of Kuwait, 66 from the United Arab Emirates, one participant from the Sultanate of Oman and 1,701 participants from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.[3]

The fifth edition saw 34 rounds in which 739 contestants took part, and the activities concluded with the announcement of the winners of the symbolic rounds in the camel races on the royal platform of the camel racecourse in Rumah on 31 December 2020.[9]

The activities of the tenth edition were launched on the land of As-Sayahid under the slogan “Pride for Its People” on 1 December 2025, amid a large public presence of camel lovers and followers of its heritage.[10] Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of the Riyadh Region, more than 250 camel owners received their prizes in the various rounds of all colours during the honouring ceremony at Qasr Al-Hukm on 4 August 2026.[11]

Q: Where is the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival held? A: In the southern As-Sayahid of the Ad-Dahna desert, over an area of more than 225 square kilometres north-east of the capital, Riyadh, at a distance of 120 km from it.[1]

Q: Who organises the festival? A: The King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah) began organising and supervising it, to be held during 1438 AH/2017, and a “Camel Club” was established by the royal order of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.[2][4]

Q: What are the most prominent prizes of the festival? A: The Sword of the King, the Shalfa of the Crown Prince, the Banner of the Founder, the Club Cup and Elite of the Elite, alongside the camel branding, hajij and hajan competitions.[1]

Q: What is the economic value of the festival? A: Its site contributes to raising the economic value of camels to as much as more than 4 billion riyals, and the first Elite Auction for camel beauty contests is the first of its kind in the world specialising in rare camels, with a market value exceeding 100 million riyals.[1][7]

Q: What was the slogan of the tenth edition and when did it launch? A: Its activities were launched on the land of As-Sayahid under the slogan “Pride for Its People” on 1 December 2025.[10]

King Abdulaziz Camel Festival is present as a heritage destination that celebrates the heritage of camels and brings their owners together from inside the Kingdom and beyond.[3] Related topics on the platform include Janadriyah Festival, King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud and the Great Nefud Desert.