Camel Beauty

Have you ever been to a camel beauty pageant??? Well, let me take you there.

Each year more than 2000 camel owners from throughout the Middle East Region bring together more than 24,000 camels to participate in the Al Dhafra Camel Festival held in the deserts of the Western Region of the United Arab Emirates.

The festival seeks to highlight Bedouin culture, activate heritage tourism, as well as activate economic movement in this remote region, while highlighting the UAE handicrafts that reflect Bedouin heritage.

As far as the eye can see, tents and camels blanket the desert. It's a family event. It's the Bedouin women who keep the traditions and skills alive and who make the colorful decorations that you see adorning the tents and camels. We are eager to see all the events and to view the camels to see if we can pick a winner. They are just as curious about us and in the end we get up close and personal!

Camel Beauty

The main event of the festival, the Camel Beauty Competition called Mazayina, aims to preserve the pure bred local Asayel and Majahim camels. Prizes worth approximately US$ 11 Million make for a very exciting competition! From the very young camels to the more mature, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

So what are they looking for in the competition??? Is it perfect eyelashes?

Or maybe it's a perfect nose or nice soft lips. Or than again maybe it's a perfect set of gleaming white teeth!

Camel Beauty

A sense of humor is always good!

Maybe a pleasing profile?




























Strength of character is a plus!

Congeniality and a sense of community spirit not to mention awareness of what is going on around you will definitely take you far.


Whatever it is they are looking for in the most beautiful camel, you can only admire these unique creatures that can survive the harshness of desert life.