In the Middle East, camel plays a unique role. For centuries it was used as part of the family, because its milk served as food; some families treated it as a pet and also used it as a traditional means of transportation well into the twentieth century, when the oil boom of the region led to the introduction of the automobile to shorten distances and time.
However, the camel, also known as the desert sheep, is closely linked to a sporting practice in that region, which has become a tradition and has now been modernized, also becoming an inherent aspect of Middle Eastern culture: camel racing.
History of a millenary tradition
Historians agree that camel racing originated in the ancient culture of the Bedouins, who lived their lives in the desert, and camels were part of their daily life. Hence, these animals are associated with the strength of survival in nomadic life, the skills to move and to withstand fatigue over long distances.
It is said that these tribes used to practice camel racing since the seventh century of the Christian era to commemorate special festivities such as marriage unions, religious celebrations and the end of the dry season.
The distances of the races in the early days used to be short, less than one kilometer; but over time they became longer and by the twentieth century, in some regions of the Arabian Peninsula up to eight kilometers are covered, especially when the competitions take place in the desert itself and not in camel tracks built specifically for this purpose in the Arab countries.
Evolution of camel racing today
Camel races are currently held as part of the preservation of ancient customs and practices in the Middle East. Although for many it is a lucrative sport because of the bets that are made on the preferred camel and the auctions that take place to buy these animals, others defend its cultural nature.
While camels can be ridden by men or women, for many years it was children who were preferred to participate in the competitions because of the low weight that lightened the animals as they ran. However, since the early years of the 21st century, Arab countries began to prohibit the hiring of minors, due to the legal implications and the demands of international organizations such as the UNICEF.
The solution to make up for the absence of a rider was found in technology. It was the Qatari scientist Rahid Ali Ibrahim who came up with the idea of making small robots to take the place of children. In 2003, Qatar, together with the Swiss company K-Team, started working on the first prototype, which was ready two years later.
The scientists had to perfect the device, because at first it scared the camels, who sensed that they were not being ridden by real humans. For this reason, they were fitted with accessories such as goggles, hats and the ability to give off a scent similar to the perfume people use when they ride them.
In this way, the owners of the camels accompany them by car as they run around the track, from where they can operate the robot by activating the built-in whip when necessary, or by talking to it to stimulate it or give instructions.
Likewise, advances in veterinary medicine have made it possible to know in depth the health of the camels that are going to compete, define their training routine, take better care of their nutrition and their weight, in order to optimize the performance of the breeds of these animals that are ideal for racing.
Camel racing is not exclusive to Middle Eastern countries. African nations such as Egypt, Kenya and Sudan; Asian nations such as India and Mongolia, as well as Australia in Oceania, have also incorporated this practice as part of their sporting traditions.
Nonetheless, in Middle Eastern nations camel racing is preserved as part of the national identity, despite the spectacularization to which it has been subjected in recent decades as a result of the globalization to which many cultural forms in the Arab world have been subjected.
