MUSCAT: The Royal Court Affairs, represented by the Royal Camel Corps (RCC), has announced the final camel race for the 2025-26 season, the Sultan’s Cup Festival 2026.
The festival will take place from March 29 to April 2 at Al Felaij Track in the Wilayat of Barka in Al Batinah South Governorate.
The five days event will feature 85 races, in addition to 23 icons and 27 cars, in cooperation with Oman Camel Racing Federation (OCRF).
The opening day, March 29, will include 32 races for the Hagayeg category, two years old, over a distance of 4 km. As many as 22 races will be held in the morning with cash prizes for the top ten. In the afternoon, there will be 10 main races, with 10 cars and four icons awarded to winners, in addition to cash prizes up to tenth place.
The second day, March 30, will feature 22 races for the Laqaya category, three years old, over a distance of 5 km, divided into 15 morning races with cash prizes for the top ten. Seven main races will be held in the afternoon, offering seven cars and four icons for winners, along with cash prizes.
The third day, March 31, will witness 11 races for the Yathaa category, four years old, over 6 km, including seven morning races with cash prizes. The four evening races will award four cars and four icons, in addition to cash prizes for top finishers.
On the fourth day, April 1, competitions will include 10 races for the Thanaya and Al Hawl categories over a distance of 8 km, with four morning races offering cash prizes. The six evening races will award four cars and four icons. The same day will also feature four races for the traditional race (human rider) over 2 km, with prizes including a car, khanjar and cash awards.
The final day, April 2, will feature 6 prestigious races.
PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS
The Royal Camel Corps has outlined general conditions for participation in the festival, which is allocated only for purebred Omani camels wholly owned by Omani citizens. The Oman Camel Racing Federation will ensure that participants adhere to strict anti-doping regulations, prohibiting the use of any stimulants or banned substances.
All winning camels will undergo testing for prohibited substances, and any violations will result in forfeiture of prizes and penalties according to the federation’s regulations. For human rider races, participants must be at least 18 years old.
Sultan’s Cup Competitions
(Read as date, round, category, race distance, prize):
March 29: First race, Hagayeg, 4 km, Sultan’s Cup and a car
March 30: Second race, Laqaya, 5 km, Sultan’s Cup and a car
March 31: Third race, Jathaa, 6 km, Sultan’s Cup and a car
April 1: Fourth race, Thanaya, 8 km, Sultan’s Cup and a car
April 1: Fifth race, Al Hawl, 8 km, Sultan’s Cup and a car
April 2: Final race, traditional race (human rider), 2 km, a car and trophy
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