Riyadh - Saudi Arabia
The city of Taif continues to attract visitors to heritage tourism and sporting events with the launch of competitions on the second day of the eighth edition of the Crown Prince Camel Festival 2026, held in the historic Taif Square. The morning races witnessed intense competition between participants from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, as the Saudi camels won 13 out of 21 races, while the Qatari camels scored 5 victories and the Emirati camels 3 victories, amid a public presence and great passion for traditional camel races.

A camel beauty contest enriches the tourism agenda

The festival, which is organized by the Saudi Camel Federation and continues until September 13 under the generous patronage of His Highness the Crown Prince, is of exceptional importance this year after the inclusion of a three-day “camel camel” competition in cooperation with the Camel Club. This addition is the first of its kind since the launch of the festival in 2018, which enriches the visitors’ experience and opens new economic and tourism dimensions that support the camel sector and consolidate the national identity in accordance with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

An attractive stop for the traveler and lovers of authenticity
The festival represents an exceptional opportunity for visitors and tourists to learn closely about authentic traditional sports and interact with desert culture in Taif’s distinctive climate. The event also provides a promising model for investors in the hospitality sectors and tourism activities related to heritage events, given the huge size of the prizes and the influx of visitors and participating delegations from the region.