Prepare a comprehensive plan that covers all the details of the festival
Preparations began a long time ago to ensure that the event would emerge in a manner befitting its status
The festival is a prominent stop on the Gulf events calendar
Mohammed Hamad Al Mannai, Director of Public Relations and Communications at the Camel Racing Organizing Committee, confirmed that the Camel Racing Festival this year 2026 is witnessing an exceptional boom and an integrated organization that reflects the magnitude of the efforts made by the Organizing Committee, noting that preparations began a long time ago to ensure that the event emerges in an image that befits its status as one of the most prominent heritage and sporting events in the State of Qatar.
Al-Mannai explained that the organizing committee completed all logistical and technical preparations early, as a comprehensive plan was prepared covering all the details of the festival, starting with determining the race schedules, through coordinating the accompanying events, all the way to preparing the camel tracks according to the highest approved standards, ensuring the achievement of justice among the competitors and providing an ideal competitive environment. He pointed out that the organizational work was not limited to the technical aspects only, but rather extended to include an integrated system of services aimed at the comfort of participants and visitors, as integrated teams were allocated to register competitors, provide instructions, and supervise the facilities, in addition to providing the highest levels of public safety inside the racing site in Al Shahaniya, which is the beating heart of camel sport in the country.
Al-Mannai stated that the committee attaches great importance to the continuous evaluation process, as feedback is collected from participants and audiences after each edition of the festival, with the aim of developing performance and improving the level of organization in the future, which has contributed to achieving qualitative leaps in the quality of the event year after year.
He stressed that the festival has become a prominent station on the agenda of Gulf events, as it enjoys wide demand from camel owners and groomers from various Gulf countries, who praised the level of organization and support provided, considering that the festival represents a role model in managing such major heritage events.
Regarding the organizational aspects, Al-Mannai explained that the podiums have been fully prepared, in addition to developing the main entrances to Al-Shahaniya Square and the racing track to facilitate entry and exit, ensuring smooth movement and accommodating large numbers of attendees.
He added that the races will start daily at exactly five-thirty in the morning in the morning, while the evening competitions will be held at one in the afternoon, in a step that reflects the committee’s keenness to expand the participation base and enhance the presence of various groups in this heritage event.
He pointed out that the coronation ceremonies will be held over several days, extending from the 20th to the 29th, with the conclusion being on the 29th and 30th, where the winners will be crowned in a distinctive celebratory atmosphere that reflects the value and importance of the event. There are millions in prizes for the most expensive festivals.
Al-Mannai also pointed out that the festival witnesses a remarkable presence of the Gulf identity, through raising the flags of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, along with the flags of the sponsoring companies, most notably Qatar National Bank and Qatar Shell, which reflects the amount of institutional support that the festival enjoys, and contributes to enhancing its continuity and development.
Al-Mannai concluded his statements by emphasizing that what distinguishes the camel racing festival is not only the strength of the competition, but also the authentic heritage atmosphere that attracts the masses and gives the event a unique character, so that it remains one of the most prominent festivals that combines authenticity and excitement at the same time.
Al Shahaniya Square in its best form
The camel racing organizing committee has prepared Al Shahaniya Square to be in its best shape in preparation for the start of the most expensive camel festival. The corridors of Challenge Square and the leading roads were decorated, as well as the arrangement of the track floor, and other matters for the participants, so that everyone would have a date with the most expensive festivals and the strongest challenges held on the sword of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the country, and it is the festival in which everyone strives to obtain the honor of winning any of its precious races and symbols.
4 Gulf channels cover the festival
The Emir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s festival of purebred Arabian camels receives very large media coverage from all local and Gulf media, both visual and audio, and this festival covers 4 channels: Al Rayyan (the exclusive broadcaster), in addition to Al Kass and Dubai Racing, as well as Yas Channel, where Al Rayyan and Al Kass channel provides exemplary coverage of everything big and small related to the festival, whether in the logic of preparation, launch, and the course of the races, and also monitors the reaction. The winners after their rides crossed the finish line, and many media outlets and social media pioneers from all Gulf Cooperation Council countries were present to report the events of this great annual festival.