Camels in Dubai, UAE

The mug I purchased while in the UAE shows camels.  

Camels are an important part of Emirati culture. In the past, camels were said to be God’s gifts to the Bedouin.  

Camels were a key mode of transportation for Bedouins and their supplies.  They would carry early Emiratis across the deserts in blistering heat while searching for water.  Not only did camels provide transportation, they also provided clothes and even food and milk for the Bedouin. Arabs were proud of the number of camels they owned and camels were given as a bride’s dowry among the Bedouin tribes.   

Today the total number of camels in the United Arab Emirates is estimated at 450,000.  Sheep and goat herds are estimated at about 5 million.  Livestock plays an important role in both food security and in the UAE’s economy.

Anyone can own a camel in Dubai.  There is no special licence necessary. A camel’s price starts from about $55,000 but thoroughbreds can go for a lot more.  An Emirati camel-racing fan spent $8.5m on three camels back in 2010.  The prices of winning camels go even higher.

A good place to see camels near Dubai is the Al Marmoom Heritage Village.  Camel racing season runs from October to April and everyone is welcome to come and watch for free.

A child-friendly place is the Camel farm.  Here you can enjoy a half hour ride through the desert, feed the camels and pet other animals on site.

Another working farm owned by Sheikh Mohammed, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and ruler of the Emirate of Dubai offers you the chance to feed a camel a carrot.  You can even find out what camel milk tastes like.  Visitors to the farm can take a tour around the milking parlour, the camel pens and the processing plant.  You can even enjoy a tub of camel milk ice-cream. 

Is this adventure on your bucket list?  I was excited just to enjoy a camel ride in an area near the Dubai Museum in the Al Fahidi Fort found in the Heritage Village in the Al Bastakiya District of Dubai.  

# living life abundantly    # published author