MUSCAT: Omani jockeys delivered an impressive performance in the Asian human-rider heats at the Zayed Grand Prize Camel Racing Festival 2025 in Abu Dhabi.
Mohammed bin Ali bin Saud al Rubaie secured second place, followed by Rashid bin Mohammed bin Dughmail al Amri, who finished third.
The Asian heats were organised by the Asian Camel Racing Federation, which extended official invitations to its member associations and implemented clear regulations for the human-rider competitions.
The races were held over a distance of 2 km at the Southern Track in Al Wathba in Abu Dhabi, with the federation overseeing all participation procedures, including visa issuance, registration processing, and verification of camel microchips. All stages were conducted in accordance with technical and safety standards to ensure fair and safe competition.
The human-rider races took place on Friday at Al Wathba as part of the wider Zayed Grand Prize Festival, which runs from November 25 to December 1 and features thousands of camels from the UAE and GCC states.
The day’s programme included 15 human-rider heats, two of which were dedicated to Asian participants, reaffirming the festival’s commitment to supporting this category and expanding its participation in traditional competitions.
Omani jockeys continued to demonstrate strong competitiveness across the Asian heats, achieving multiple top-ten positions. Hamad bin Bukhait bin Said al Awisi finished sixth with his camel ‘Al Shamkha’, followed by Rashid bin Muslim bin Rashid al Sinani in seventh place riding ‘Ma’anand’. Mahmoud bin Khalid bin Said al Housani secured eighth place with ‘Musada’, while Ahmed bin Khamis bin Rashid al Jahwari claimed ninth place aboard ‘Moreeb’.
The third day of the festival was attended by Shaikh Sultan bin Hamdan al Nahyan, Adviser to the President of the UAE and Chairman of the Camel Racing Federation, along with senior officials and camel owners from across the GCC, highlighting the significance of the event and its role in preserving the region is sporting heritage.
The organising committee allocated 36 trophies, including swords and diggers, for which participating camels competed across 217 rounds throughout the festival, marking one of the most competitive and diverse editions of the event.
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