Saudi Arabia: Home of the Camel

In 2021, Saudi Arabia was estimated to be home to upwards of around 1.4 million camels. They are the Kingdom’s national animal and are valued for their place in the country’s cultural past, as well as being a race animal, and a reliable source of milk, food and leather. Saudi is the largest camel milk market, with over 33L of camel milk consumed per capita, each year. It may not surprise you to find out that the largest camel market in the world is in Buraydah, Al-Quassim, Saudi Arabia.

The King Abdul-Aziz Festival for Camels is an annual cultural, economic and entertainment festival backed and sponsored by the King and Crown Prince. Last year, the festival started on December 1st and lasted for 40 days. Participants compete in 19 categories for prizes worth up to $66 million USD. Over 8,000 camels race for millio