Media Committee:

The seventh edition of the Crown Prince Camel Festival 2025 will kick off at the beginning of September at Taif Camel Square, with total prize money exceeding SAR 50 million. A large number of local and international camel owners will compete under the official schedule of the Saudi Camel Federation.

The winner of the Crown Prince Camel Festival Cup in the Heel (general and open) category will receive a cash prize of SAR 1.5 million, in addition to the category’s sword, to be awarded by the patron of the closing ceremony of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s largest camel racing event, scheduled to be held at Taif Camel Square at the beginning of September.

Prizes for the champions of the festival’s five official categories range from SAR 500,000 to SAR 1.5 million. Each category will conclude with four evening races.

According to the official program, the festival—running from September 2 to 12—will stage 249 races across multiple categories: Mafareed, Hagayeg (92 races), Lagaya (64 races), Jezaa (40 races), Thanaya (24 races), and Heel & Zoomool (24 races). Participating camels will cover a total distance of 950 km, in addition to five camel-rider races (three for men and two for women).

The program also outlined 10 registration conditions, 34 participation requirements, and 10 general rules, all of which were published through the Federation’s official social media platforms, website, and the festival’s official account.

The festival will mark the first of six championships in the Saudi Camel Federation’s 2025/2026 season that qualify camel owners for the “Saudi Sword.”

The “Saudi Sword” is a key target for camel owners participating in the season’s competitions both inside and outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It carries a prestigious historic title in the record of camel owners, awarded to the competitor with the highest points, along with a SAR 4.5 million prize.

The Saudi Camel Federation announced the Saudi Sword Prize for the first time in July last year. The top-ranked camel owner receives SAR 3 million, the runner-up receives SAR 1 million, and the third-place owner receives SAR 500,000.

The Federation confirmed that points will be calculated during the general races across six major championships: The King Abdul-Aziz Camel Racing Prize, The King’s Camel Racing Festival, The Crown Prince Camel Festival, the Saudi Camel Federation Cup, the Saudi Olympic Committee Cup, and the Ministry of Sports Camel Cup.

Saudi owner Ayedh Rafaan Alqahtani was crowned last season's "Saudi Sword" winner at t The King’s Camel Racing Festival in Janadriyah, receiving 163 points.

The Federation has set 12 conditions for owners competing for the Saudi Sword. Points will only be counted in general races, and participating camels must be either 100% owned or in partnership ownership (between 50% and less than 100%). No points will be counted for owners before their official registration in the competition.

Owners are also required to take an oath regarding the ownership of their participating camels, whether fully owned or part-owned, and to submit all related data. The Federation clarified that ownership under a single stable may include the father, sons, and brothers if they are registered under the same banner.

Since its first edition in 2018, the festival has attracted global interest from camel racing enthusiasts. The festival aims to preserve and promote camel heritage within Saudi culture.

The festival has also achieved tangible economic returns through diverse cultural and heritage-driven activities, reflecting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s deep-rooted traditions. Thanks to its success, the festival has won five awards, including four Guinness World Records: for the largest number of camels participating in the world (2018, 2024), and the largest illuminated camel structure (2018, 2019). In addition, it received the Makkah Award for Economic Excellence in 2023.

Media Contact
Company Name: Saudi Camel Federation
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Country: Saudi Arabia
Website: https://scrf.sa