Celebrating Camel Cup In True AlUla Style

The sound of hooves resounded in this ancient oasis city of Saudi Arabia as the region¡¯s fastest racing camels participated in the inaugural round of this ancient sport With their sturdy long legs, regal visage, and eyes boasting beautiful long lashes, these six-year-old (or so) participants of the inaugural Camel Cup in AlUla in Saudi Arabia are a picture of elegance and beauty. Armed with a fierce competitive spirit, 40 of the best "racing camels of the region" look determined to hit the racetrack and make their owners proud.

Camel Cup|Purnima Sharma

And each time they thundered down the racetrack of the AlUla Camel Cup Venue, the crowd's excitement knew no bounds. Holding binoculars to their eyes, the spectators cheered loudly for their favorite camel as it raced down the eight-mile-long track -- toward the finishing line. And indeed, it was only a matter of minutes before even 'outsiders' like me got enveloped by the adrenaline rush provided by the ancient sport that locals say goes back to the 7th century.

Camel Cup|Purnima Sharma

But before we move on, a word here about AlUla (that catches attention for the unique way it¡¯s spelt) ¨C a small, ¡°boutique destination¡± that nestles about 1,100 km from Riyadh in the Northwestern part of Saudi Arabia.

AlUla Camel Cup|Purnima Sharma

As we first enjoy views from the aircraft window of its stunning landscape boasting innumerable shades of brown, and later of towering sandstone mountains that seem to have been chiseled into dramatic shapes over millennia, desert landscape, and ancient rocky outcrops and ruins, it is not difficult to see why AlUla is also fast becoming a favored backdrop for many Hollywood movies including Gerard Butler¡¯s Kandahar.

What makes AlUla particularly interesting for Indians is the fact that it was part of the ancient incense route that saw camel caravans stop to trade precious goods. The ancient petroglyphs engraved on rocks in the area are a testimony to this fact. All this and more has made this part of Saudi Arabia its first UNESCO World Heritage Site ¨C an honor AlUla wears with pride.

As we sit enjoying the fast-paced action at the Camel Cup Venue, it is not difficult to gauge the reason for the excitement around this event. After all, camel racing, regarded as a national sporting treasure, is believed to have first started in West Asia before becoming popular in regions of North Africa, countries lying in the Horn of Africa, Pakistan, Mongolia, and Australia (in Alice Springs) as well.

Here in AlUla, this event was organized under the patronage of the chairman of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) -- Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. While each day saw winners from different rounds being felicitated, the final evening witnessed the crowning of the ¡®Champion of Champions¡¯ bagging a grand prize pool of SAR 80 million (more than US$ 20) million).

For those used to seeing horses running at breakneck speed, the sprint of camels may seem a tad slower, but, considering their height, you soon learn to appreciate the determination and effort with which they run. Here, we need to mention that camels can run at a speed of 65 km/h (18m/s; 40 mph) in short sprints; and maintain speeds of 40 km/h (11 m/s; 25 mph) for an hour.

There was a time, however, just a few decades ago when this sport had become riddled with controversy. This was when racing camels were controlled by child jockeys (read that as very small children because of their light weight). But, after protests by human rights¡¯ activists, the use of children as jockeys was stopped.

Here in AlUla, as in other modern camel-racing sites, it was a delight to see racing camels being controlled by remote-controlled robotic whips.

AlUla Camel Cup|Purnima Sharma

We mentioned Hollywood earlier and must do so again. That's because the stands witnessed a starry visitor from Los Angeles -- Academy-award-winning actor and Hollywood star Will Smith! He came not for a film shoot but as the guest of Swizz Beatz who is a famous music producer, and also the husband of singer Alicia Keys.

Beatz is the first American to own a camel racing team called Saudi Bronx in Saudi Arabia. Later, a post on his social networking site described Will Smith as "some surprise guest" who landed in AlUla to support his team, that, incidentally, grabbed the fifth position in the race.

AlUla Camel Cup|Purnima Sharma

We also take time out to visit the heritage village that lies adjacent to the Camel Cup venue and offers a dekko into the diverse cultural heritage of the Saudi Arabian Kingdom. Visitors walking in here were particularly charmed to meet craftspeople like Hailah Al Enezi selling a variety of woven wares created with camel, sheep, and goat wool. Other than carpets, rugs, pillows, and cushion covers, she also offers decorations not just for abayas but also camels that she says are treated like family members in many homes.

While Hanadi Abu Kasheem's stall offers a variety of handmade items including soaps, creams, candles, lip salve, and henna, Bayan Saud's charming pottery corner has many visitors picking up coffee cups and decorative vases to carry back home.

AlUla Camel Cup|Purnima Sharma

Besides taking a look at designer Salhah Al Shahrani's collection of beautiful abayas that seem to have many takers, guests also get to try their hand at some of the traditional arts and crafts of Saudi Arabia.

Opportunities to do block printing, creating pictures on sand bottles, and making henna and calligraphy designs were also on offer ¨C all to make visitors feel one with the artistic heritage of AlUla. And to pay tributes to the ubiquitous and much-loved ¡®resident¡¯ of the region -- the camel.

The writer is a senior travel journalist.