Image used for representative purpose. AP

Qatar has been at the centre of attention for hosting FIFA World Cup 2022 but it’s not the only contest that is taking place in the Middle Eastern country.

Qatar also held a beauty pageant of sorts for camels. The event, called ‘Camel Beauty World Cup’, took place at the Qatar Camel Mzayen Club in Ash-Shahaniyah.

These long-legged animals, who have also earned the moniker of ‘ship of the desert’, arrive at competition from different parts of the Gulf to compete to be named as the most attractive.

The Mzayen Club President Hamad Jaber al-Athba told Reuters, “The idea is similar to the football 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,” he added.

Let’s take a closer look at how the competition is held.

How are the camels judged?

Just because they are camels doesn’t mean they get it easy. The judgment criteria are as rigorous as any other beauty contest.

The camels are placed in different categories based on their age and breed. As the audience sipped on coffee and ate a variety of sweets while spectating the show, the winning camel, a Maghateer-type, got a sum of 200,000 Qatari riyals (Rs 44 lakh) and her owner from Saudi Arabia named Mohanna Ibrahim al-Anazi, couldn’t contain his happiness, said, “I can’t describe my feelings because this female has an audience like the audience of the World Cup. Like Real Madrid or Manchester (United). And now, they are all celebrating.”

There’s no place for cheating at this beauty contest. Before the camels can even participate at the event, they are thoroughly examined by a medical committee that uses X-ray machines to ensure that the animals have not undergone any surgical enhancement.

The measure has been put into place after it was discovered that some camel owners give their animals Botox and other facelift treatments to improve their odds of winning. Last year, over 40 camels were disqualified from the Saudi beauty pageant for the same reason.

Based on the categories, for example, black camels are judged according to how big their bodies are, their heads and the location of their ears.

In the case of the white Maghateer-type camels, the animals are judged on the basis of their proportionality. For instance, their ears should drop down and not stand straight. Apart from this, their mouth curves are also looked at.

Asel camels are judged according to the location of their ears, the delicacy of their bones and how their hooves appear.

Why were camels barred from a Saudi contest?

Last year in Saudi Arabia, over 40 camels were disqualified from given Botox, face-lifts and muscle-boosting treatments at the Abdulaziz Camel Festival.

Authorities discovered that a number of breeders had plumped out the lips and noses of their camels, injected their heads with Botox to make them look bigger, inflated their body parts with rubber bands and even used fillers to relax their faces.

The Saudi Press Agency reported that the club halted all acts of tampering and deception in the beautification of camels.

According to a report by Daily Mail, footage of camels with ruptured lips went viral after they underwent Botox treatments.

The Abdulaziz Camel Festival is not new to such malpractices. In 2018, in a similar case of deception, owners of 12 camels were caught enhancing their animals for a beauty contest.

What are some other camel competitions?

Camels are revered and are considered a lifeline in the deserts across the Middle East. The Qatar Camel World Cup is not the only beauty pageant held for animals.

According to a report by Doha News, in February this year, Qatar hosted its very first edition of the Camel Festival at Lebsayyer. The 45-day event featured unique and high-value breeds.

The festival aims to enhance animal wealth and protect the nature of the breeds globally along with raising awareness on the prominence of camels in Arabian heritage.

In Saudi Arabia, the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival has been a well-respected and much-participated event for years. The competition draws camel owners from not just Middle Eastern countries but around the world.

The Camel Festival is an annual international cultural, economic, sports and entertainment event organised by the Saudi Camel Club.

With inputs from agencies

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