Abu Dhabi: The Razin Camel Beauty Pageant of the 15th Al Dhafrah Festival will start on Thursday morning in Razin, Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi. The pageant, held under the patronage of HH Shaikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, will run until December 2.
Organized by the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee, the Razin Mazayna Competition, which coincides with the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, will see 75 races involving camels from across the Arabian Peninsula. They include purebred camels from the Asayel (pedigree) and Majahim (dark-skinned) lineages in six age groups – Mafarid, Haqqa, Laqaya, Iytha, Thanya, and Hol. The camel owners will be vying for 705 awards worth AED 11.415 million.
“The Razin Mazayna is the second round of the Abu Dhabi Camel Beauty Pageant Season in implementation of the directives of the Festival’s patron, HH Shaikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to expand Al Dhafra Festival,” Eissa Saif Al Mazrouei, Deputy Chairman, Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee – Abu Dhabi, said. It now includes camel pageantries in Suwayhan, Razin, and Madinet Zayd, in addition to the principal Camel Beauty Contest of Al Dhafrah Festival, he added.
Al Mazrouei said that the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee has completed all preparations for the launch of the Razin Mazayna Competition in coordination with various stakeholders. “The stage is set and all arrangements have been completed, including the early preparation for the arrival of camel caravans and owners to the pageant venue, to ensure the full success of the Festival,” Al Mazrouei said.
The much-awaited event will start, from the early hours of the morning, receiving the camels participating in the first day of the race that will include five rounds for Al Majahim at Al Mafarid age, for which 50 valuable prizes have been allocated. The camels will be tested by the medical and screening committees, and the Judging Committee will announce the results on Friday evening. The festival runs against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, with all precautionary measures in place across the festival venue to ensure the safety of all individuals and delegations participating from inside and outside the UAE.
Al Dhafrah Festival affirms the keenness of the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee to contribute to the post-COVID-19 recovery strategy, initiatives, and plans and to ensure a return to normalcy through the organization of annual heritage festivals that underpin the UAE’s position as a regional and international hub for strengthening heritage preservation for future generations. It reflects Abu Dhabi’s status as the destination for camel beauty pageants locally, regionally, and internationally and its efforts to strengthen its position as a regional and international heritage capital.
The pageant now includes 312 rounds by local camels, Majahim, Al-Asayel, Al-Wahdah, and Al-Mahaleb hybrids for the participants to win 2,947 valuable prizes as well as two Bairaq Al Emarat Awards. Al Dhafra Festival reflects the commitment of the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee to reinforce the emirate’s cultural vision of preserving heritage, and delivering the UAE’s cultural and humane message to the world while embracing the culture, tradition, and history of the UAE.
