The dromedaries paraded down a dusty racetrack as judges rated the size of their lips, cheeks, heads and knees. Crowds of men watched from the bleachers, hooting when the beasts representing their own tribe loped down the track.
A dozen beasts have been disqualified from this year's Saudi "camel beauty contest" because their handlers used Botox to make them more handsome.
"The camel," explained the chief judge of the show, Fawzan al-Madi, "is a symbol of Saudi Arabia. We used to preserve it out of necessity, now we preserve it as a pastime."
Much is changing in Saudi Arabia: the country is getting its first movie theaters. Soon women will be permitted to drive. The authorities eventually hope to diversify the economy away from the oil that has been its lifeblood for decades.
But as they seek to transform the conservative kingdom, the Saudi authorities are trying to smooth the path for reform by emphasizing traditional aspects of their culture. And for the Bedouin of Arabia, nothing is more essential than the camel, used for centuries for food, transport, as a war machine and companion.
So, the authorities have ramped up the country's annual month-long camel festival, which was relocated last year from the remote desert to the outskirts of the capital. On a rocky desert plateau, the government has erected a permanent venue to host the headline events: races and show competitions with combined purses of 213 million riyals. ($57 million)
The pavilion features an auction where top camels can fetch millions of riyals.
There are food stalls and souvenir shops, a petting zoo featuring the world's tallest and shortest camels, a museum with life-size sand sculptures of camels, tents for tasting camel's milk and viewing camel-hair textiles, and a planetarium showing how Arabs rode camels through the desert guided by the stars.
Organizers say this "heritage village" will expand in coming years as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - who is heir to the throne, defense minister and head of oil and economic policy - takes the reins through a newly-created official Camel Club established by royal decree last year.
Halfway through this year's festival, attendance is up about a third from last year, with about 300,000 people making the 1-1/2 hour trip from Riyadh so far, said Fahd al-Semmari, a Camel Club board member.
"The vision is for the (festival) to become a global, pioneering forum for all classes of people to come for entertainment, knowledge and competition."
Reuters
Thu Jan 25 2018
A man cheers as he rides a camel during King Abdulaziz Camel Festival in Rimah Governorate, north-east of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia January 19, 2018. - Photo Reuters/Faisal Al Nasser
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Kelayakan akademik bukan isu calon PN - Pas
Kempen PN sempena PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu tidak akan terjejas berikutan isu yang mengaitkan kelayakan akademik calonnya, Khairul Azhari Saut.
Peniaga nasi kukus raih jualan RM14,000 sebulan
Inisiatif Pendapatan Rakyat (IPR) mampu merubah graf pendapatan bulanan peserta apabila meningkatkan hasil jualan.
Piala Uber: Malaysia tewas kepada Taiwan
Malaysia memulakan kempen Kumpulan B Piala Uber 2024 mereka dengan langkah kiri apabila tewas 1-4 kepada Taiwan, di sini hari ini.
Imigresen tahan dalang warga Indonesia, jual produk kosmetik tanpa kelulusan KKM
Jabatan Imigresen menahan seorang wanita warga Indonesia berusia 50 tahun disyaki menjadi dalang penjualan produk kosmetik dan kecantikan yang tidak mendapat kelulusan KKM.
Sheriff: 9 hari tayangan, kaut RM28 juta!
Filem arahan Syafiq Yusof, Sheriff: Narko Intergriti kini meraih kutipan sebanyak RM28 juta dalam 9 hari tayangan.
Jaheaik sudah panggil artis wanita tular buat persembahan - Exco
Jaheaik sudah panggil artis wanita tular buat persembahan - Exco
KidDin bergabung jawab segala isu Konsert Search 'Gemuruh'
KONSERT Search 'Gemuruh' nampaknya semakin diperkatakan disebabkan beberapa isu yang ditimbulkan sehari dua ini.
Penunjuk perasaan Palestin tempelak wartawan AS
Mereka menuduh wartawan A.S sembunyikan dan berikan gambaran salah mengenai perang di Gaza.
Lawatan ke Riyadh: Blinken melawat Arab Saudi esok
Setiausaha Negara Amerika Syarikat, Antony Blinken akan melawat Arab Saudi pada Isnin untuk bertemu dengan rakan serantau dan membincangkan usaha mencapai gencatan senjata di Gaza dan pembebasan tebusan Israel.
Iraq lulus akta penjara maksimum 15 tahun
Parlimen Iraq meluluskan undang-undang yang menjenayahkan hubungan sejenis dengan hukuman penjara maksimum 15 tahun pada Sabtu.
Apa jadi pada wajah juri bermulut pedas, Simon Cowell?
Figura berusia 63 tahun itu kelihatan sedikit cengkung, dengan keadaan mata dan mulutnya tidak simetri.
Puluhan unta dilarang bertanding, dikesan sengaja disuntik Botox demi nampak cantik
Pasukan pemeriksa terpaksa menggunakan teknologi khusus dan canggih untuk mengesan sebarang percubaan melanggar syarat pertandingan.
Akibat disunat tanpa sengaja, warga emas ini terima pampasan lebih RM100,000
Kakitangan Leicester Royal Infirmary melakukan kesilapan dengan membaca nota perubatan seorang pesakit lain.
Lebih 1,000 aduan berkenaan botox, 'filler' di UK
Jangkitan adalah isu terbesar yang dialami mereka yang mendapatkan rawatan, manakala mereka yang menjalani rawatan lip filler pula terpaksa menjalani pemulihan.
Wajah awet muda, Shah Rukh Khan akui tidak suntik botox
Pelakon popular Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan akui tidak pernah melakukan suntukan botox pada wajahnya.
Pusat kecantikan tidak boleh sediakan khidmat suntikan botox
Kementerian Kesihatan memberi amaran kepada pusat atau salon kecantikan supaya tidak menyediakan perkhidmatan suntikan Botox kerana produk itu di luar bidang kawalan mereka.