Camels worth millions of dollars waddled in the Saudi desert as owners celebrated trophies won in local and regional competitions.
Crowned in beauty and color contests, camels owned by Saudi princes and tribesmen were honored with traditional celebrations in al-Dahna desert near the capital Riyadh.
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The most expensive camel at the event was “Mudamera” (Arabic word of destroyer), owned by Prince Abdul Rahman Bin Mussaed. He owns 50 camels and describes the fierce competition between the tribes.
Dozens of camels competed in a beauty pageant in Saudi Arabia last month where nearly 12 animals have been disqualified because their handlers used Botox to make them more handsome.
Camels reflect traditional aspects of Saudi Arabia's cultural heritage. For the Bedouins of Arabia, nothing is more essential than a camel, used for centuries for food, transport, as a war machine and companion.
