Fierce and thrilling competitions lit up Al Shahaniya yesterday evening in the final rounds of the first stage of the Annual Festival for Purebred Arabian Camel Racing, held under the prize of His Highness the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, may God protect and preserve him, with the coveted silver Jeddah trophies at stake. Elite camels competed fiercely for the silver awards amid a large turnout of fans and enthusiasts celebrating heritage and tradition.

The racing banners exchanged dominance over the strongest and most intense Jeddah challenges, with the trophies distributed among several competitors from Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

The evening opened with “Dalma,” owned by Mohammed Hamad Jaber Al Ghofran Al Mari, dominating the first strong race to win the silver Shalfa trophy for female camels (Bakar “Open”). “Aseel,” owned by Salem Mohammed bin Aqeel, controlled the strongest male camel race, capturing the silver Khanjar for male camels (Geadan “Open”)after an outstanding performance that secured him first place in the second race.

In another intense race, “Nagham,” owned by Abdulhadi Khalil Mansour Al Shahwani, claimed the Shalfa trophy for female Omani camels, narrowly defeating “Al Ghouta,” owned by Nasser Abdullah Ahmed Al Misnad, in a thrilling finish that went down to the last meters of the third main race.

The final three silver trophies of the day went to UAE competitors. “Al Hather,” owned by Saeed Mohammed Salem Al Amri, won the silver Khanjar for male Omani camels in the fourth main race. In the fifth race, “Jood,” owned by Mubarak Mohammed Saleh bin Nasrah Al Amri, earned the silver Shalfa for production female camels.

The evening concluded with “Khatib,” owned by Salem Saeed Manana Ghadeer Al Ketbi, performing impressively in the sixth race to secure the silver Khanjar for production male camels, breaking records with the fastest time of the evening at 8:50.05 minutes.

The first stage of the festival in Al Shahaniya highlighted fierce competition, high-quality performances, and a spectacular celebration of heritage, drawing enthusiasts from across the region.