Held under the patronage of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, the sixth edition of the Crown Prince Camel Festival was set to kick off in Taif on Saturday.
The festival, organized by the Saudi Camel Federation, will be held at the Taif Camel Square for one month, from August 10 to September 10.
Preliminary rounds will last for 12 days.
A large number of local and international camel owners are competing in the Mafarid, Haqqa, Laqaya, Jatha'a, Thanaya, Heil, Zamoul and Soudaniyat categories for prizes that topping SAR56 million.
Throughout the festival, 610 races will be held: 360 in the preliminary rounds and 250 in the final stages.
Minister of Sport and Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee President Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal expressed his gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed for their support to the sports sector, in general, and camel racing, in particular, and for their dedication to preserving and enriching the Kingdom's cultural heritage.
Deputy President of the International Camel Federation, President of the Saudi Camel Federation and Vice Chairman of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee Prince Fahd bin Juluwi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaid also thanked the Crown Prince for patronizing the festival.
