CULTURE & HERTIAGE
The importance of camels in Saudi life
Camels are the national animal of Saudi and when you visit, you will see them everywhere: strolling beside the highways and eating shrubby bushes in the vast expanses of empty desert...
Words by Alice Morrison
Camels on the ranch (Alice Morrison)
Omair Al Qahtani’s ranch lies a two-hour drive outside Riyadh and we set off mid-afternoon. The countryside is dominated by desert scrub. We turn off the main road and into rolling grasslands that remind me of the American West. The rains have been reasonable this year so there is lots of grazing. It is a camel fest – hundreds of them are wandering over the plains.
We draw up to a large villa where a group of men dressed in immaculate white robes are waiting to meet me. We all shake hands and go inside to the guest salon. I take off my shoes at the door and sit down on one of the cushions. Omair offers me juice and tells me that he has won the most prestigious camel beauty pageant in Saudi ten times. It’s impressive. A camel beauty pageant sounds faintly ridiculous in English but it is actually an intensely serious and hard fought over competition which attracts thousands of spectators.
In my eyes all camels are beautiful but for competition purposes there are some definite criteria. As we drive over the ranch with camels trotting alongside the car, Omair explains what the judges are looking for. They want a camel with a large body and a long neck. It is an advantage if the camel is tall. The hump – these are all one-humped camels or dromedaries – should be towards the back of the body. The contest is held in December so that the animals have their fluffy coat of winter fur and white is the best colour. A truly beautiful camel has a long, drooping bottom lip. Omair tells me disapprovingly that some owners cheat and use botox on their camels. They also weight their bottom lips to drag them down. Now, there has been a big clampdown, and anyone discovered doing this is disqualified and banned from competing.
I decide to try my hand at spotting winners. “This one is beautiful,” I say pointing out a large, well-proportioned animal who is running beside us with a smooth gait. “Very good,” Omair says, “You have chosen well. Her price is $1 million.” I feel a surge of validation.
Baby camel
I am taken to see the baby camels who rush towards me in an untidy tumble. They are clearly pampered and sniff around me for treats – a carrot or a piece of orange peel. I don’t have anything to give them, but they are happy to have their noses stroked and their ears scratched. Their mothers have been out grazing but will be reunited with them in the evening. In the meantime, they are living their best lives galloping crazily around the pen and showing off their kicks and jumps.
Back in the car, we drive to a viewpoint overlooking the ranch and I am served a bowl of warm, frothy camel milk. It is sweet and delicious, and I drink it the Saudi way, first scooping off the froth with a date. “I come here every week if I can,” Omair says, his eyes lit up, “The camels are my passion.” We watch together as the sun sinks and the camels walk in their undulating way towards the horizon.
Baby camels (Alice Morrison)
Camel rides and visits are offered in all the main tourist centres in Saudi. If you don’t want to ride the camel, you can always go and hike beside them. The animals are generally very well treated. Just make sure you ask the guide about their temperament as male camels especially can bite.
In AlUla, you can ask to go to one of the camel farms on the outskirts of the town where you will have the chance to see the mothers and babies and maybe even have a go at milking. Each year in December and January, the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival near Riyadh offers one of the best chances to see camels, with its beauty competitions, auctions and huge markets.
Practical information
Visas
It’s surprisingly simple and easy to get an e-Visa for Saudi and the process is very similar to applying for an ESTA for the USA. Over 50 nationalities are eligible to apply for an e-Visa, including people from the UK and USA, with it costing (at the time of writing) 535 Saudi riyals (about £115 or US$143). Applications are swift and nearly all applicants will receive a response within three working days – most within 24 hours. To apply for your Saudi e-Visa, visit the official Saudi Tourism Authority website. If you’re from the USA, UK or the Schengen Area, you can also apply for a visa on arrival into Saudi. It’s slightly cheaper than an e-Visa, too, at SAR480 (about £102 or US$128).
Getting there & around
With plenty of direct flight links from the UK to Saudi, it’s really easy to get to the country. Saudi’s national airline SAUDIA flies to Riyadh three times daily from London Heathrow, while British Airways also offers a regular service from Heathrow with daily flights to the capital. SAUDIA also operates twice daily flights to Jeddah from London Heathrow and daily flights from London Gatwick. If you’re travelling from the US, SAUDIA offers direct flights to Riyadh from both New York City and Washington, D.C., as well as direct flights to Jeddah from New York City, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.
Local customs
To really embrace Saudi life and pay respect towards its traditions, there are a few local customs you should abide when travelling around the country. Both men and women should wear clothing that covers their elbows and below their knees when out in public. If you’re heading to the coast, it’s still expected you dress modestly. When meeting and greeting locals, whether it’s a market stallholder or a private guide, say hello with ‘salam alaykum’, which means ‘peace be upon you’, as well as offering a handshake.
Weather
You might think it’s hot all year round in Saudi but it’s a little more nuanced than that. The best time to visit the country is between October and March, when temperatures can dip as low as 20°C during the daytime, depending on where in the country you are, and rarely exceed 30°C. The summer months between June and September can get extremely hot, with temperatures often north of 40°C. But, do as the locals do and head out after dusk when it’s much cooler!
Is English spoken in Saudi?
Arabic is the official national language but English is widely spoken.
What is the currency of Saudi?
The currency of Saudi is the riyal, with the current rate (at the time of writing), around SAR4.76 to the UK£. You’ll need to pre-order money before you travel, as in the UK it’s not usually stocked in currency exchange booths.
What’s it like travelling in Saudi as a female?
We think you’d be surprised! To find out more, read our first-hand account on what it’s like to travel in Saudi.
What’s the time difference in Saudi?
Saudi follows Arabia Standard Time (GMT +3) all year round.
