The history and legacy of camel racing in Saudi Arabia goes deep, and it is now being fully brought up to date with the announcement of the inaugural AlUla Camel Cup.
Hosted in the stunning AlUla area of The Kingdom, the three-day event will be held from March 14-17, 2023, and will crown a ‘Champion of Champions’ complete with a grand prize pool of SAR 80 million (more than USD 21 million).
Under the patronage of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Chairman of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) – the tournament honors the Kingdom’s revered sport with the AlUla Camel Cup offering the highest prize pots in the world per round of camel racing.
The new AlUla Camel Cup event will now become the climax of the Saudi Arabian camel racing season.
“Saudi Arabia has championed camel racing the world over, with historical records indicating the sport played a part in our ancient culture as far back as the 7th Century,” says Mahmoud Suleiman Albalawi, Executive Director of Saudi Camel Racing Federation. “The evolving story of the sport, where we pay tribute to its timelessness and the special appeal it holds in the hearts and minds of the region’s people.”
The inclusion of the AlUla Camel Cup to the Saudi Camel Racing Federation’s season ushers in a new era for the Kingdom’s cherished homegrown pursuit.
AlUla Camel Cup is one of the flagship sports events of AlUla Moments 2023 calendar of events and festivals, which includes five major festivals and six marque events.
Other sports events taking place in AlUla are “The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup in AlUla 2023” (March 4), “AlUla Trail Race” (February 23 and 24), and the recent “Saudi Tour” (January 30 – February 3).