The historic Taif Camel Racing Track hosted the eighth Crown Prince Camel Festival 2026 from 3 to 13 September, organized by the Saudi Camel Racing Federation, a sporting and heritage event that brings camel racing competition together with the celebration of an authentic tradition at the local and Arab levels.
This year's edition introduced Arab races reserved for member federations from outside the Gulf, a step aimed at widening participation and strengthening cooperation among Arab camel racing federations, while giving participants access to several of the festival's races.
New Arab races in the 2026 edition
The festival allocated a set of competitions to non-Gulf Arab federations, following official invitations, covering both human-rider and robot-rider races across different categories and distances. Races were divided among the Thanaya, Jadha'a, Laqaya and Haqayiq age categories over distances from 2 to 5 kilometers, including Thanaya Bikar and Hail over 5 km, Thanaya Qa'dan and Zumool over 5 km, Jadha'a Bikar and Qa'dan over 5 km, Laqaya Bikar and Qa'dan over 4 km, and Haqayiq Bikar and Qa'dan over 2 km.
Sport and Saudi heritage in one festival
The Crown Prince Camel Festival is one of the foremost events in camel racing, combining sporting competition with the celebration of a heritage tied to the culture of the Kingdom and the Arabian Peninsula across generations. It promotes and develops the sport and offers a gathering point for trainers, owners and enthusiasts, supporting its continuity and its transfer to new generations within a modern organizational and sporting framework. The participation of Arab federations in 2026 strengthened the festival's regional dimension and opened the way for exchanging expertise among participants from several countries.
An eighth edition of a journey that began in 2018
The festival began in 2018 and has grown over seven consecutive editions in sporting, organizational and logistical scope. The eighth edition built on Taif's historic place in camel racing and on the development of heritage sports across the Kingdom. It is organized by the Saudi Camel Racing Federation under the patronage and support of HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
