It’s just after sunrise as two camels hurtle past us at full pelt; the men atop are frantically bouncing up and down with their arms doing a hyperactive version of

the funky chicken, while a sparkling white Land Cruiser drives just behind incessantly beeping its horn. Further down the track the riders slow down, dismount and disappear into a babbling throng of camels, cars and khanduras.

It is not a sight most people would expect to see at 6.30am out on the Al Ain Road – partly because most of the city is still asleep, but mainly because the enormous Al Marmoum camel racetrack is one of the UAE’s best kept secrets.

Located 30 minutes from Dubai, at the Al Lisali turning just beyond The Sevens stadium, the country’s largest camel racecourse is relatively unknown to the hordes of tourists that fly into town, and that is just the way the locals like it. Camel racing is as traditional a sport as there is in the UAE, playing a significant part in the country’s heritage harking back to the days where Bedouins would use the camels for transport, currency, milk and occasionally racing against each other, with children jockeying across roughly marked out desert courses.

Today, modern day camel racing has become big business. During the racing season – between October and March – people from as far as Qatar and Saudi join local owners with stables full of camels competing for prize money, which is

stripesThe UAE’s most traditional sport is also one of its most overlookedRacing

24_What’s On_01.2013

now given out to the race’s top ten finishers. On an average race day the victor can win around Dhs2,500, but for more important meetings the sum can rise up to Dhs5,000 and include luxury cars such as Range Rovers and FJ Cruisers.

But the prize money is not all that has changed; the sport has undergone some serious modernisation over the past decade. Since 2002, following pressure from human rights groups, child jockeys were replaced by little robotic machines controlled by remote control. Now the owners cruise alongside the track in fleets of 4x4s controlling the robotic jockey while seemingly trying to exhaust their car’s horn.

Mr Al Wahad, a racing official, explains that the men we saw earlier riding the camels were not racing but merely warming them up for the races, set to start at 7.30am.

Although the Dubai Camel Racing Club (DCRC) officially sanctions each race, the schedule for the events can be difficult to find – and it is best to call ahead to confirm.

The track is used most days, with the races run normally between 7am

and 9am on Fridays and Saturdays during racing season. The loose schedule on the DCRC’s website informs us that today it’s the turn of the younger camels.

Adult camels can reach speeds of up to 40km/h but, as a rule, the camels under two years old should not be racing as their bones and muscles have not fully developed. “In the young category, the camels must be between three and four years old to be able to race,” explains Mr Al Wahad who has the unenviable task of overseeing the registration. There is no official documentation for the camels; instead their age is determined by a thorough inspection of the size of their teeth – if a camel passes inspection then a blue stencil is spray-painted onto its neck. “It is simple – no mark, no race,” smiles Mr Al Wahab.

With the race minutes away, dozens of camels – now dressed and draped with multi-coloured robes and fitted with their robotic jockey – are manically ushered towards the

start (essentially a net across the track). The buzz of anticipation is as potent as the smell of camel manure as we join the owners jostling in one of the grandstands to get the best view of huge TV screens that broadcast the race.

The start is chaos. As soon as the rope is dropped, the camels spring into life with limbs flying off in every direction. The roar and horns of the accompanying

4x4s drown out the cheers of the crowd and the camels scamper off into the distance to the soundtrack of Arabic commentary booming out of the speakers. A good 15 minutes passes until we catch sight of the leading few camels striding across the finishing line, much to the delight of a few locals in the stands who leap out of their seats and set chase after the camels – half to congratulate them, and half to ensure they don’t run off.

It is hard to shake the feeling that among the chaos and competition there is something refreshing about a sport that doesn’t try nor care to be anything other than what it is. Camel racing is unquestionably local and long may it continue.

Al Marmoum Camel Racetrack, Al Ain Road, Dubai, races at 7am and 2pm, free. Tel: (04) 8326526. Taxi: Exit after The Sevens. dcrc.ae

SweihanLocated on the E20 road between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, the sleepy oasis town of Sweihan is known for its camel racing circuit. During the winter, the racecourse often marks important social occasions with its races accompanied by arts and crafts fairs, traditional dancing and even the odd camel milking competition.

Sweihan, Abjan Road, Abu Dhabi, Fri and Sat, 7.30am and 2pm, free

Al WathbaA word of warning, navigating your way

to the Al Wathba racecourse requires a whole lot of patience and probably a GPS device. Although it is only about 20 minutes from the Corniche, the main problem is that there are actually two racecourses in the area, a larger one often used to race horses and a second one a few miles on that is dedicated to camels. Popular with locals during the winter racing season this is camel racing at its most authentic.

Al Wathba, Emirates International Endurance City, Abu Dhabi, Thur, Fri

and Sat, 6.30am to 8.30am, free

Jebel Ali RacecourseDon’t be fooled by the name, the Jebel Ali Racecourse is actually tucked away up behind The Greens. In general this centrally located course is a horse racecourse, however, they do run the occasional camel race on special occasions – but it is best to phone ahead.

Hessa Street, The Greens, Dubai. Tel: (04) 3474914. Taxi: Opposite Regent International School. emiratesracing.com

FoR the diARyThe prospective racing dates at Al Marmoum this monthyounger camels: Jan 8, 9, 15, 16, 29, 30older camels: Jan 27 and 28

CAmel polo‘only in dubai’ is a phrase that is far too often banged about in the UAe; however, with camel polo it is quite literally the case

The rules are simple: it is played exactly the same as regular polo – think mallets and helmets – but played on a camel instead of horseback. The Dubai Polo Club offers to organise tuition on how to ride and steer a camel, as well as 90-minute games for eight people or more. Don’t worry if you haven’t played before, you can opt to have an instructor take the reigns for you, while you swing away.

Dubai Polo Club, Arabian Ranches, Emirates Road, Dubai, Dhs690. Tel: (04) 3618111. Taxi: Near Motorcity. poloclubdubai.com

…and coming up on the outsideAlthough Al Marmoum is the UAE’s biggest camel racing track, it is not the only option