Qatar is in the news not only because it is hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022, but also because it is organizing the Qatar Camel Mzayen Club beauty contest in Ash-Shahaniyah.
“The idea is similar to the soccer World Cup, we did a camel beauty World Cup. We have participants from the Gulf Cooperation Council, we have big names and today is the fifth day of the tournament,” Hamad Jaber al-Athba, president of the Qatar Camel Mzayen club said.
The participants, camels, represent different Gulf countries and compete in different categories according to their age and breed.
Spectators watch a camel beauty contest in Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar 📸 @reuterspictures pic.twitter.com/0wQ3WCyQBm
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 30, 2022
Hamad Jaber al-Athba further said, “The characteristics to measure the beauty of a camel differs from one group to another. For instance, the black camels are judged according to the size of the body and the head and the location of the ears.”
“But for the Maghateer-type camel, we look for proportionality and the ears should be dropping down, not standing straight. In addition to the way, the mouth is curved. As far as the Asel are concerned, they have special characteristics. The location of the ears is important, there should be a delicacy in the bones, the hooves, so there are characteristics that need more detail,” Hamad Jaber al-Athba added.
However, the officials in Ash-Shahaniya are wary of any potential cheating after 43 camels were disqualified from a similar tournament in Saudi Arabia last year in December for using botox and other cosmetic surgery modifications.
The 40-day King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, located about 100 kilometers northeast of the capital, Riyadh, saw breeders compete for more than US$66 million in prize money.
