World Camel Day: Tabuk Camels Symbolize Authenticity and Heritage

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA
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World Camel Day: Tabuk Camels Symbolize Authenticity and Heritage

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA

In Saudi Arabia, camels receive devoted attention and care from the government, the Saudi Press Agency reported. With a deep connection to the history and life of the Saudi people since ancient times, camels symbolize tradition, and the government harnesses all resources to preserve and nurture them.
The UN declared June 22 the World Camel Day in recognition of the historical significance of camels which ensure food security with their products of great nutritional value. The year 2024 has been designated by the UN as the International Year of Camelids.
Saudi Arabia participates in the preservation and safeguarding of camels, further solidifying the country's civilizational, historical, and cultural identity.
Tabuk, like other regions in the Kingdom, cares for this national resource.
Founded in 1407 AH, this field is renowned for organizing seasonal races and official celebrations of Arabian camels in the Kingdom. It accommodates over 900 stables and more than 10,000 camels raised to take part in winter and summer races and for breeding purposes.



Van Gogh Painting Falls Short of Expectations in Hong Kong Auction

A visitor looks closely at 'Les canots amarres' by Vincent van Gogh at Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Peter PARKS / AFP
A visitor looks closely at 'Les canots amarres' by Vincent van Gogh at Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Peter PARKS / AFP
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Van Gogh Painting Falls Short of Expectations in Hong Kong Auction

A visitor looks closely at 'Les canots amarres' by Vincent van Gogh at Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Peter PARKS / AFP
A visitor looks closely at 'Les canots amarres' by Vincent van Gogh at Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Peter PARKS / AFP

A Vincent van Gogh painting displaying the artist's shift from dark realism to vibrant impressionism sold for US$32.2 million at a Hong Kong auction on Thursday, falling short of expectations that it would fetch a record-breaking price.
"Les canots amarres" -- or "the moored boats" -- was the centerpiece of an inaugural evening sale held to celebrate the opening of auction house Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters.
According to Christie's, it was expected to fetch HK$230-380 million (US$30-50 million) on the auction floor, AFP reported.
If bidding had reached the higher end of the estimated value, it could have surpassed Jean-Michel Basquiat's "Warrior" -- which went for HK$323.6 million in 2021 -- as the most expensive Western painting sold in Asia.

But the hammer of auctioneer Adrien Meyer fell Thursday at HK$250 million.
Cristian Albu, deputy chairman and head of 20th/21st century art at Christie's Asia Pacific, said the price was the "record of a Van Gogh in Asia.”
The auction house was "cautious" with its lineup on Thursday in hopes of boosting market confidence, added Ada Tsui, head of evening sale and specialist for 20th/21st century art.
Owned by the Italian royal family of Bourbon Two Sicilies, the Van Gogh painting is "the most important painting by the artist ever to be offered in Asia,” Christie's said in its introduction.
"'Les canots amarres' marks a vital stepping stone in his career," it said.
The painting is one of about 40 works Van Gogh developed around the scenic French town of Asnieres, a boating hub on the outskirts of Paris, during the summer of 1887.