- Camel sports enthusiasts, teams, and owners, from the across
the region to travel to AlUla for the first edition of these
new competitions, each featuring multi-million SAR prize
pools
- The first Arab Camel Cup and first World Endurance
Championship, held on 3rd May and 4th May respectively, will both
feature a prestigious field of thoroughbred racing camels
ALULA, Saudi Arabia, May 3, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- AlUla's growing reputation as the home of diverse
and exciting heritage sports from across the region and beyond will
be further cemented when the city hosts two of the sector's newest
and most high-profile contests – the Arab Cup for Camel Racing and
the World Championship for International Camel Endurance.
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has worked closely with key
partners the Arab Camel Racing Federation and the International
Camel Racing Federation to stage the new competitions, which will
be held back-to-back over two thrilling days and feature the
region's best thoroughbred camels.
Held on 3rd May at the Mugheira Heritage Sports Village, the
debut Arab Camel Cup will see some of the sport's leading riders
from 16 Arab nations compete over 13 hotly contested rounds of
racing for a share of prizes exceeding SAR 3
million.
The following day, 4th May, will see an international contingent
of camels and riders tested to their limits as part of the
first-ever World Championship for International Camel Endurance.
With a total prize pool of SAR 2
million to be won, the two-stage challenge will cover a
total of 16km with male and female riders competing in their
respective categories.
The winners will receive SAR
500,000, with the remaining prize money shared amongst the
runners up. Riders participating in the World Endurance
Championship in AlUla will be registered based on their age (at
least 18 years old) and type of camel, which will include: Hail,
Thanaya Bakkar, Zamoul, and Thanaya Qadan.
Building on AlUla's established status as the premier
destination for heritage sports, including a diverse collection of
camel races, horseback and endurance challenges, and more, the two
new competitions will attract an international audience of
spectators as well as enthusiasts from across the Kingdom and the
wider AlUla community.
The Arab Camel Cup and the World Endurance Championship will
both be held in support of the Ministry of Culture's 'Year of the
Camel' initiative, celebrating the camels' status in Saudi culture
and society. These events also support RCU's long-term plan to
champion the deeply rooted cultural legacy of camel and heritage
sports, while also opening new opportunities for socio-economic
growth within AlUla and northwest Arabia.
RCU's ambitions for heritage sports are closely linked to its
tourism and cultural conservation plans, placing each at the heart
of the community as a powerful and unifying area of development
aligned with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 plan.
Ziad Alsuhaibani, Chief Sports Officer at the Royal
Commission for AlUla, said: "Hosting the new Arab Camel Cup and
the first-ever World Endurance Championship is yet another exciting
milestone in the ongoing evolution and development of heritage
sports in northwest Arabia.
"As the sector continues to go from strength to strength, RCU is
excited to welcome the very best teams, owners, and riders to
participate in thrilling new competitions that showcase much-loved
categories of traditional sports as well as the wonderful,
purpose-built facilities that have been created in AlUla to
accommodate participants and spectators alike.
"The heritage sports sector continues to grow at a rapid pace,
bringing with it new opportunities for inclusive growth, dynamic
investment, and of course new levels of sporting excellence. The
Arab Camel Cup and the World Endurance Championship are new and
welcome editions to AlUla's growing calendar of year-round cultural
and sporting events."
Noted for editors:
It is always AlUla / not Al-Ula
About the Royal Commission for AlUla
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established by royal
decree in July 2017 to preserve and
develop AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and cultural
significance in north-west Saudi
Arabia. RCU's long-term plan outlines a responsible,
sustainable, and sensitive approach to urban and economic
development that preserves the area's natural and historic heritage
while establishing AlUla as a desirable location to live, work, and
visit. This encompasses a broad range of initiatives across
archaeology, tourism, culture, education, and the arts, reflecting
a commitment to meeting the economic diversification, local
community empowerment, and heritage preservation priorities of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Vision
2030 programme.
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2404382/ALULA_CAMEL_RACE_1.jpg
Photo
- https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2404383/ALULA_CAMEL_RACE_2.jpg
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alula-to-host-inaugural-editions-of-arab-cup-for-camel-racing-and-world-championship-for-international-camel-endurance-strengthening-its-status-as-the-premier-home-of-heritage-sports-302135685.html
SOURCE The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU)