Crown Prince Camel Festival Trophy Races Begin in Taif

The Historic Taif Camel Racing Track hosts the first trophy races of the eighth Crown Prince Camel Festival 2026 on Saturday, 5 September 2026, coinciding with the conclusion of the Haqayiq category. The concluding evening session carries total prize money of SAR 6.1 million.

Across the six trophy races, first-place prizes range from SAR 400,000 to SAR 700,000, with awards distributed among the top five finishers in each race. For general morning and evening races, the organizing committee allocates SAR 90,000 shared among the top ten finishers.

The festival's broader final day at Taif features 20 rounds for the Al Heil and Al Zamoul categories, including four Al Saif and Al Bandaq trophy races with a combined prize pool of SAR 10.9 million. In these final four trophy races, each covering 6 km, winners in the Zamoul General and Zamoul Open take SAR 1,000,000 plus a rifle trophy, while winners in the Heil General and Heil Open earn SAR 1,500,000 plus a sword trophy.

New for 2026

This edition introduces the Crown Prince Camel Festival Cup dedicated to Saudi participants, awarding SAR 500,000 to the competitor with the most points across the races. There are also dedicated Saudi Production races: 37 races (21 Haqayeq and 16 Laqaya) reserved for Saudi-bred camels, with SAR 3.3 million in prize money distributed among the top ten finishers in each race.

Overall participation in the eighth edition reached 10,076 camels from 12 countries, including 6,583 from Saudi Arabia, 1,608 from Qatar and 1,311 from the UAE. The festival comprises 248 races across the Haqayeq, Laqaya, Jadh'a, Thanaya, Heil and Zamoul categories, plus the special Saudi-production races. Race distances range from 2 km for the Haqayeq category to 6 km for the final Heil and Zamoul trophy races.

---

Stay updated with the latest news, events, sports updates, business insights, real estate and lifestyle stories on Saudi Living — the leading online platform for residents, expats, and visitors in Saudi Arabia.

Follow Saudi Living for daily updates:

• Instagram - @saudiliving
• X - @saudiliving
• Facebook - @saudiliving
• YouTube - @saudiliving