Taif Camel Festival Opens First Trophy Races

The eighth Crown Prince Camel Festival 2026 will hold the first of its trophy races at the historic Taif Camel Racing Field on Saturday, 5 September 2026, coinciding with the conclusion of the Haqayiq category. The event is organized by the Saudi Camel Racing Federation, which oversees registration and operations at the track.

The concluding evening session of these opening trophy races carries total prize money of SAR 6.1 million, described as exceeding SAR 6 million. The session features six trophy races, each awarding prizes to the top five finishers, with first-place prizes reaching up to SAR 700,000. For general morning and evening races, the organizing committee has allocated SAR 90,000 each, distributed among the top 10 finishers.

A festival worth over SAR 50 million

Running from 3 to 13 September 2026, the festival includes 248 races with overall prizes exceeding SAR 50 million. A dedicated Crown Prince Camel Festival Cup for Saudi participants is being introduced for the first time, offering SAR 500,000 to the competitor or owner who accumulates the most points across races.

Saudi Production races have been allocated SAR 3.3 million across 37 races, shared among the top 10 finishers in each, plus an additional SAR 500,000 for the owner with the highest points. Separate men’s and women’s racing events carry SAR 620,000 in total, split across four rounds at SAR 155,000 each. The Al-Laqaya category features 64 races over three days with SAR 10.85 million in prizes, including six Crown Prince Cup rounds worth SAR 5.7 million.

This edition also debuts Mazayen (camel beauty) competitions for the first time, integrated into a program of more than 240 racing rounds. The festival celebrates a heritage deeply rooted in Saudi culture, drawing owners, breeders, and families to Taif for one of the Kingdom's largest gatherings of its kind.

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