Zayed City: Deep in the desert of the United Arab Emirates, the moment that camel breeders had been waiting for arrived. Families hauled their camels through wind-carved sands. Judges descended on desert lots. A single question loomed over the grandstand: Which camels were most beautiful?
Even as the omicron variant rips through the world, legions of breeders from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar traveled to the UAE's southwestern desert this week with 40,000 of their most beautiful camels for the Al Dhafra Festival.
The five-man jury at the annual pageant insists beauty is not in the eye of the beholder.
Camel aesthetics are evaluated according to precise categories determined generations ago.
Only female camels participate because males fight too much, authorities said.
As hundreds of woolly black camels trotted through the dusty pastures, necks and humps bobbing, one of the organizers, Mohammed al-Muhari, outlined the platonic ideal.
Necks must be long and slim, cheeks broad and hooves large, he told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Lips must droop. They must walk tall with graceful posture.
The high standards have prompted many breeders to seek an advantage, using banned Botox injections to inflate the camel's lips, muscle relaxants to soften the face and silicone wax injections to expand the hump.
All camels undergo rigorous medical exams to detect artificial touch-ups and hormones before entering Al Dhafra Festival.
"If there is any kind of tampering or fundamental changes," the camel is excluded, al-Muhari said.
A great deal is at stake. Al Dhafra Festival offers the top 10 winners in each category prizes ranging from $1,300 to $13,600.
Camels change hands in deals worth millions of dirhams. But breeders insist it's not only about the money.
It is also part of the country's heritage, said 27-year-old camel owner Saleh al-Minhali from Abu Dhabi.
He sported designer sunglasses over his traditional headdress and Balenciaga sneakers under his kandura, or Emirati tunic.
Experts say Emiratis are increasingly searching for meaning in echoes of the past - Bedouin traditions that prevailed before the UAE became a nation 50 years ago.
Festivals across the country celebrate the camel's significance. Al Dhafra also features falcon racing, dromedary dancing and a camel milking contest.
In a sign of the contest's exploding popularity, about a dozen young Emirati men who call themselves "camel influencers" filmed and posed with the camels on Wednesday, broadcasting live to thousands of Instagram followers.
Each category in the 10-day pageant is divided into two types of camels: Mahaliyat, the tan breed that originates from the UAE and Oman, and Majaheen, the darker breed from Saudi Arabia.
Wednesday's showcase focused on 5-year-old black Majaheen camels.
As the sunset over the sands, the winning breeders were called to accept their gleaming trophies. Down below in the dirt rings, camels were crowned with gold and silver-lined shawls.
"Until now we are the first in the category... We've received over 40 prizes (in various camel contests) this year alone," beamed Mohammed Saleh bin Migrin al-Amri as he juggled four trophies from the day, including two golds.
Then he jumped into his Toyota Land Cruiser. The victory parade of honking SUVs and grunting camels faded behind the desert dunes.
(AP)
