RIYADH: Saudi-owned camels dominated the opening day of the 2026 Saudi Olympic Camel Racing Cup, organised by the Saudi Camel Racing Federation at the historic Al Janadriyah Camel Racecourse in Riyadh, with a record 1,228 camels participating.
Saudi camels claimed four of the six trophies contested during the evening session and accounted for more than 60% of the winners across the 46 races held on the opening day, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Vice Chairman of the Saudi Camel Racing Federation Mohammed Al-Balawi crowned the winners of the evening session, which featured 16 races involving 304 camels.
The first-day results saw Saudi Arabia win 28 races, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 12, Qatar with three, Oman with two, and Bahrain with one.
The five-day championship, now in its sixth edition and held in Riyadh for the first time, brings together camel owners from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries for 129 races across morning and evening sessions, with 24 cups at stake, according to SPA.
The opening day featured 46 four-kilometre races in the Haqayiq category, comprising 30 morning races and 16 evening races, including contests for six cups.
