• The inaugural 'AlUla Camel Cup' to offer a grand prize pool of SAR 80 million (more than USD 21 million)
  • Held from March 14 – 17, 2023 with the highest prize pots in the world per round of racing
  • The inaugural occasion, to feature prominently on the Kingdom’s sports calendar, includes world-class art and music performances

AlUla, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Under the patronage of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Chairman of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), the inaugural AlUla Camel Cup to be held from March 14-17, 2023 will crown a ‘Champion of Champions’ complete with a grand prize pool of SAR 80 million (more than USD 21 million).

With the highest prize pots in the world per round of camel racing, the tournament honors the Kingdom’s revered sport in the stunning backdrop of AlUla, a place of extraordinary human and natural heritage. 

The AlUla Camel Cup is organised by RCU in collaboration with the Saudi Camel Racing Federation (SCRF).

Amr AlMadani, CEO of the Royal Commission for AlUla said: “The AlUla Camel Cup will celebrate the most noble of Saudi Arabian sporting traditions, welcoming royalty VIPS, the elite of the sport and many distinguished guests to the most glorious of settings for this illustrious occasion.”

With such deep-rooted historical connections - such as the Incense Road Trading route where camel caravans travelled through AlUla trading precious goods, and the ancient petroglyphs featuring camels engraved across the rocks of AlUla - it is fitting that we celebrate the ‘ships of the desert’ with the first AlUla Camel Cup. 

The inclusion of the AlUla Camel Cup to the Saudi Camel Racing Federation’s season ushers in a new era for the Kingdom’s cherished homegrown pursuit.

“We eagerly await March 14 when world-class sport will be combined with natural beauty and the epitome of modern luxury for a spectacle like no other.” 

Mahmoud Suleiman Albalawi, Executive Director of SCRF, said: “The pinnacle of the Saudi Arabian camel racing season, which will crown a ‘Champion of Champions’, can have no better setting than the performance grade track at AlUla, a jewel of the desert where tradition meets modernity. 

“Saudi Arabia has championed camel racing the world over, with historical records indicating the sport played a part in our ancient culture as far back as the 7th Century. The professional nature of camel racing has a similarly distinguished past, with the first professional camel race held in Saudi Arabia dating back to 1964 as part of a heritage festival.

“The evolving story of the sport, where we pay tribute to its timelessness and the special appeal it holds in the hearts and minds of the region’s people, will reach new heights at the AlUla Camel Cup in March 2023. Here the conclusion of our camel racing season, which began back in August 2022, will reach a truly spectacular finale.” 

AlUla Camel Cup is one of the flagship sports events of AlUla Moments 2023 calendar of events and festivals, which includes five major festivals and six marque events. Other sports events taking place in AlUla are “The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup in AlUla 2023” (March 4), “AlUla Trail Race” (February 23 and 24), and the recent “Saudi Tour” (January 30 – February 3).

In-depth details of each day at the AlUla Camel Cup, and activities surrounding the event, will be released in due course. 

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Media contact:
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About the AlUla Camel Cup 

Under the patronage of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Chairman of the Royal Commission for AlUla, the inaugural AlUla Camel Cup, to be held from March 14-17, 2023, celebrates and preserves the cherished homegrown sport of camel racing, while elevating Saudi Arabia’s traditional pursuit to new horizons against the stunning backdrop of AlUla. 

Set in the splendor of extraordinary human and natural heritage, the AlUla Camel Cup is an ode to the rich cultural inheritance of an ancient sport and a tribute to the camel and its pivotal role in AlUla’s own ascension. 

With a grand prize pot of over SAR80 million, the AlUla Camel Cup is the pinnacle of the Saudi Arabian camel racing season, crowning a true ‘Champion of Champions’. Each day welcomes a different kind of race, testing the speed, strength, and endurance of these remarkable ‘ships of the desert’. 

The AlUla Camel Cup also features an arts-filled evening with global and local artists across multiple mediums and a cultural market, which offers AlUla-inspired foods and handicrafts. 

A unique, beautiful fusion of modern and ancient, sport and culture, elemental and opulent, the AlUla Camel Cup is a special and momentous event that propels the Kingdom’s heritage into motion by providing an exhilarating display through the ages. 

About AlUla Moments:

AlUla Moments is AlUla’s new home of events. The brand was launched at the end of 2021 and introduced four new festivals to celebrate and unlock AlUla’s stories, uncover its secrets and celebrate local and international cultures. With 7000 years of human civilisations and home to some of the most sophisticated ancient Kingdoms of antiquity, AlUla is no stranger to social gathering and cultural celebrations. 

The four festivals introduced were Winter at Tantora, which returned to celebrate heritage, culture and music, in addition to the AlUla Skies, AlUla Arts and AlUla Wellness Festival.

The festivals offered a selection of experiences in art, culture, music, nature, wellness, equestrian, food and astronomy. All of which were celebrating the culture, history and legacy of AlUla and the civilisations that once called the land of AlUla their home.

In 2023, AlUla Moments presents five major festivals and six marque events, including the return of Winter at Tantora, AlUla Wellness Festival, AlUla Arts Festival, AlUla Skies presented by SAUDIA, AZIMUTH, The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup 2023, and the Ancient Kingdoms Festival.

For more information please visit experiencealula.com/en/alula-moments 

About AlUla:

Located 1,100 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned. 

The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of 111 well-preserved tombs, many with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement. 

Current research also suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Roman Empire after the Roman’s conquered the Nabataeans in 106 CE.

In addition to Hegra, AlUla is also home to ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms and considered to be one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula, and Jabal Ikmah, an open air library of hundreds of inscriptions and writings in many different languages. Also AlUla Old Town, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes developed from at least the 12th century, and Hijaz Railway and Hegra Fort, key sites in the story and conquests of Lawrence of Arabia.

For more information, please visit: www.experiencealula.com