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AlUla Camel Cup Returns to Showcase Saudi Heritage

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Saudi Camel Racing Federation (SCRF) have partnered to bring forth the highly anticipated second edition of the AlUla Camel Cup. (SPA)
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Saudi Camel Racing Federation (SCRF) have partnered to bring forth the highly anticipated second edition of the AlUla Camel Cup. (SPA)
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AlUla Camel Cup Returns to Showcase Saudi Heritage

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Saudi Camel Racing Federation (SCRF) have partnered to bring forth the highly anticipated second edition of the AlUla Camel Cup. (SPA)
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Saudi Camel Racing Federation (SCRF) have partnered to bring forth the highly anticipated second edition of the AlUla Camel Cup. (SPA)

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Saudi Camel Racing Federation (SCRF) have partnered to bring forth the highly anticipated second edition of the AlUla Camel Cup. The event kicked off on Wednesday at the Mughayra Heritage Sports Village and will span over four days with the participation of some of the brightest names in the sport from various nations.

The event is an exceptional experience that offers a myriad of activities, valuable prizes, cultural experiences, and art and visual performances to enhance the event.

Activities include camel riding, the “Light Bright” experience, the art of henna, and Arabic calligraphy light shows after sunset.

RCU guests will be treated to a unique local experience that includes roasting and tasting traditional Saudi coffee, discovering local and international flavors at distinctive food and beverage outlets and regional food brands, trendy camel race streetwear, souvenirs, and crafts that reflect AlUla's heritage and history.

AlUla Camel Cup 2024 will also host the AlUla “Design Award” ceremony on Friday. The winning camel covers will be on display in the heart of the heritage village.

In its first edition, the event attracted thousands of participants from around the world, and this year it is expected to witness an even greater turnout, especially with the Ministry of Culture declaring 2024 as the “Year of the Camel”, celebrating its prominent role and place in Saudi culture and heritage.

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'Spectacular' Viking Burial Site Discovered in Denmark 

A Moesgaard Museum conservator holds a Viking Age ceramic bowl discovered at a Viking Age burial site in Lisbjerg, a village seven kilometers north of Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city, on June 13, 2025. (AFP)
A Moesgaard Museum conservator holds a Viking Age ceramic bowl discovered at a Viking Age burial site in Lisbjerg, a village seven kilometers north of Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city, on June 13, 2025. (AFP)
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'Spectacular' Viking Burial Site Discovered in Denmark 

A Moesgaard Museum conservator holds a Viking Age ceramic bowl discovered at a Viking Age burial site in Lisbjerg, a village seven kilometers north of Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city, on June 13, 2025. (AFP)
A Moesgaard Museum conservator holds a Viking Age ceramic bowl discovered at a Viking Age burial site in Lisbjerg, a village seven kilometers north of Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city, on June 13, 2025. (AFP)

In an accidental find, a 10th-century burial site believed to have belonged to a Viking noble family has been discovered in northern Denmark, packed with a "spectacular" trove of ancient objects, a museum announced Tuesday.

The discovery came when pearls, coins, ceramics and a box containing a gold thread were unearthed during construction work near Lisbjerg, a village located seven kilometers (four miles) north of Aarhus, Denmark's second-largest city.

Archaeologists found the site contained around 30 graves dating from the second half of the 10th century, when the famous King Harald Bluetooth reigned, said the Moesgaard Museum in Aarhus.

According to the museum's archaeologist Mads Ravn, the graves are most likely linked to a noble family from the Viking Age -- which lasted between the eighth and 11th centuries -- whose farm was discovered less than a kilometer from the burial site in the late 1980s.

"This could have been one of Harald Bluetooth's earls or stewards," Ravn told AFP.

Ravn noted that the king, who introduced Christianity to what is today Denmark, tasked nobles with managing certain regions.

Researchers also discovered some human remains, such as teeth and bones, at the site.

"People basically took what was important to them into the grave because they wanted to transfer it to the other world," the archaeologist said.

One of the graves, which scientists believe belonged to an important woman, contained a box filled with decorative objects and a pair of scissors.

The "magnificent" box is a remarkable find, according to Ravn, with only a few having been discovered before, including one in southeastern Germany.

"It's very rare, there's only three of them we know of," he said.

The excavations at Lisbjerg are due to be completed this week, after which experts will begin a thorough analysis of the objects recovered.

Wooden objects in particular should help them accurately date the burial site.

As a royal and commercial center, Aarhus was one of Denmark's most important cities during the Viking Age.