Saudi camel racing will no longer be an all-male affair, says official

JEDDAH: For the first time in the history of Saudi Arabia, a woman will participate in an official camel race, a senior official said on Friday.

Fahd bin Hithleen, chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi Camel Club and president of the International Camel Organization (ICO), said the race is part of the ongoing King Abdulaziz Camel Festival on the outskirts of Riyadh.

“The camel race will end this Saturday with the participation of the first female in camel racing,” Hithleen said on his official Twitter account.

He added, “I congratulate Princess Jamila Bint Abdulmajeed bin Saud bin Abdulaziz for breaking into the camel world and wish her all the success.”

Princess Jamila will be the first Saudi female to participate in camel racing and the tournament will take place in the presence of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman at the final stage of the competition.

Princess Jamila said the competition is not just exclusively for men anymore, in light of the great support that Saudi women are witnessing in several fields throughout the Kingdom.

On Thursday, the Kingdom established the world’s first organization for camels, initialed by representatives of 96 countries.

Riyadh was set as the headquarters of the ICO and Hithleen was appointed as the first president for a five-year term.