‘Botox-free’ Camel Festival Beauty Winner Announced...

A “botox-free” camel has been awarded a one-million-riyal cash prize as it was announced the winner in Qatar’s first Camel Festival.

The crowned camel, named Mangiah Ghufran, strutted among other camels from across the region, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as Qatar has broadened its camel festivals from a more local one to a regional one.

The organizers were extra meticulous upon hosting the camel contestants as the recent camel festival in Saudi Arabia sparked outrage over Botox charges, an event where 43 camels were disqualified after it was found they had undergone cosmetic enhancements.

The King Abdulaziz Camel Festival lured breeders in from around the Gulf as the prize money stood at $66 million.

According to officials, the practice of cosmetic enhancements on camels is considered “animal abuse” and “violators face hefty fines and are banned from participating in future competitions.”

The malpractice of beauty enhancements in camel pageants has bloomed amid tough competition, despite the heavy penalties imposed. The injections are given to “make their lips droopier and their humps shapelier”.

“Work was done to combat tampering, which is the use of Botox and fillers and other things,” said Hamad Jaber Al-Athba, the Chief Festival Organizer.

To avoid a potential cheating scandal, organizers place the camels through X-rays and other sources of monitoring. “We had a professional veterinary staff and advanced equipment and we worked to combat tampering and limit the spread of cosmetic materials,” he added.

“Corruption was fought seriously at the Qatar Camel Festival,” Al-Athba reiterated.

To choose the winners, the judges look at “the size and beauty” of the animal’s head, the length of its neck, and the position of the camel’s hump, as these features are considered the most important points,” he noted.

As for black camels, the size of its head can be a “deal-breaker,” however the white camels, the consistency of their color is considered.

The relevant authorities in the Gulf country and its neighbors are seeking to shed a spotlight on traditional practices as they compete with major events, including the country’s World Cup and Formula One Grands Prix.

Al-Athba said that the festival had been a success, which is a testament to Qatar’s “growing urban population as well as its desert-dwelling Bedouin.”

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