Camel beauty pageant held in Yemen's desert

Over 200 camels took part in a beauty pageant in Yemen's eastern province of Hadhramaut last week. Camel owners brought their animals along from various Yemeni provinces to the contest, which was held in the Qaf al-Awamir district. The camels were judged according to their pedigree, coat, neck, head and hump. Organisers said the aim behind the contest is to revive the Yemeni heritage and encourage people to raise desert animals. The beauty pageant is held in the same area each year and some attendees have to make a long journey to reach it. "We came from a remote place and endured the hard trip but thank God we won the first place," said Zaheen Salmeen, the owner of the winning camel. The contest was held on Thursday and Friday in Yemen's eastern desert, some 800 kilometres (497 miles) to the east of the capital, Sanaa.