30,000 desert 'beauties' to compete in Dubai

DUBAI: Thousands of camels from across the gulf region are queuing up in the UAE to compete in one-of-its-kind beauty contest to be held in its capital Abu Dhabi.

Around 30,000 camels will participate in the beauty pageant to be organised during the 13-day long Dubai camel festival, being organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.

The orgnisers believe that despite it was the second year of the the festival, it would be much bigger in size than the last year.

"Everyday we are registering around 600 to 700 camels and we have to extend the registration deadline by one more day, in order to cope with all the arrivals," Salem Ebrahim Al Mazrouei, in charge of organising the festival, was quoted by the Khaleej Times.

Millions of Dirhams in cash as well as 143 four-wheel-drive vehicles and pick-up trucks will be given away to prize-winning entries, he said.

Large number of camels arriving in pick-up trucks with tents, fodder and water tanks to take part in the event causing heavy traffic on the usually quiet road to Madinat Zayed, the capital town of Al Gharbia, the newspaper said.

The festival will begin on December 23.