In the United Arab Emirates recently, the Al Dhafra Festival brought owners of camels together for a camel beauty contest. The event is among desert traditions that go back generations.
A great deal is at stake. Al Dhafra Festival offers the top 10 winners in each category prizes ranging from $1,300 to $13,600. At the main Saudi contest, the most beautiful fetch $66 million.
LIWA, UAE: Deep in the desert of the UAE, the moment that camel breeders had been waiting for arrived. Families hauled their camels through wind-carved sands. Servers poured tiny cups of Arabic coffee. Judges descended on desert lots. A single question loomed over the grandstand: Which camels were most beautiful? Even as the omicron variant rips through the world, legions of