Mazayen Al-Ibl is slated for a March debut

A beauty pageant is coming to town! A camel beauty pageant, that is.

The dates for the Mazayen al-ibl Heritage Festival and Camel Beauty Contest have been set for the month-long period of March 19th – April 15th.

The festival aims to bridge the generational gap through introducing younger generations to the culturally rich Saudi heritage.

This acts in accordance with the goals of Vision 2030, and within the umbrella of initiatives spun by the local King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (KAFRA).

An anticipated 2 million people and 300,000 camels will be in attendance!

Organizers hope that the festival will gain momentum worldwide, in an interesting show of cultural celebration and exchange.

Originally started by the Qahtani tribe and held in Guwei’iya, within the outskirts of Riyadh, the festival is a celebration of the intimate and symbolic link between the customs of Bedouin tribes and camels. The competition also celebrates the distinct features of pure-bred camels, to be judged by a committee of Bedouins, using a rubric inclusive of hump and neck length, and whether or not the ears stand back and the nose droops down.