Al Ardah camel race held at Bidiya

By Yahya al Salmani — BIDIYA: Dec. 4: A camel race was held on the occasion of the 46th National Day in the Wilayat of Bidiya on Friday. As many as 150 camels from the Governorates of North and South Al Sharqiyah participated. Several hundreds of people from nearby places witnessed the race. The Al Ardah camel race began with a ‘salute march’. This included singing of traditional songs and poems. The event began at 7 am and ended at 8.30 am. Each race saw two participants covering a distance of around 800 metres. During the race, each participant tried to display his skills. This year, organisers gave more opportunities to the youth to participate in this annual event.  The objective of the event was to preserve the tradition for the younger generation and display this traditional sport to tourists who visit the Wilayat of Bidiya in the current tourism season.