Dubai Camel Racing Calendar 2025: Events and Season Review

The Dubai camel racing calendar 2025 brought major racing festivals, thousands of camels and hundreds of individual races to Dubai. At the centre of the season was Al Marmoom Camel Racetrack, one of the most important venues for camel racing in the United Arab Emirates.

Looking back at the 2025 season also shows just how much this traditional sport has changed. Modern Camel Racing Dubai combines generations of knowledge about camels with professional training, dedicated racing facilities and technology such as robot jockeys.

This page provides a retrospective overview of important camel racing events that took place in Dubai during 2025. It should be regarded as an archive of the 2025 season rather than a current racing schedule.

The History of Camel Racing in Dubai

Camel racing has deep historical roots in the Arabian Peninsula. Long before modern racetracks were built, races formed part of weddings, celebrations and social gatherings. Camels themselves were essential to life in the desert, providing transportation and supporting communities across the region.

Over time, informal races developed into an organized competitive sport. Dedicated racetracks were constructed, training became increasingly professional and major festivals brought together camel owners and racing stables from across the UAE and other Gulf countries.

Dubai has played an important role in that development while camel racing has retained its close connection with Emirati culture.

From Human Jockeys to Robot Jockeys

One of the most visible changes in modern camel racing has been the introduction of robot jockeys. The small, lightweight devices are remotely controlled and can now be seen at camel races throughout Dubai and the wider Gulf region.

For visitors seeing a race for the first time, the scene can be surprising. Camels race around the track carrying their robot jockeys while trainers and owners may follow the action in vehicles alongside the course.

It is perhaps the clearest example of what makes today’s camel racing so unusual: an old desert sport that has adopted modern technology without losing its connection to the past.

Why Al Marmoom is Important to Camel Racing in Dubai

Drive away from central Dubai and the familiar skyline gradually begins to disappear. The skyscrapers, shopping malls and busy streets give way to a more open landscape. This is where visitors encounter a very different side of the emirate.

Al Marmoom Camel Racetrack is one of Dubai’s most important camel racing venues and has hosted some of the largest events on the racing calendar.

During a major festival, the focus is firmly on the camels. Racing stables, trainers, owners and spectators gather around the track while support vehicles follow the competitors as they race.

For visitors, Al Marmoom therefore offers more than another sporting venue. It provides an opportunity to experience a tradition that existed long before modern Dubai developed around it.

More information about the location can be found in our guide to the Dubai racing track.

Major Camel Racing Events in Dubai 2025

The original version of this calendar contained a number of provisional event listings. Now that the 2025 season has passed, we have replaced those listings with major Dubai camel racing events for which dates can be documented retrospectively.

This table is a retrospective selection of documented major events and should not be interpreted as a complete record of every camel race held in Dubai during 2025.

Dubai Crown Prince Camel Racing Festival 2025

One of the major early-season events was the Dubai Crown Prince Camel Racing Festival, held at Al Marmoom from January 19 to 29, 2025.

The scale alone was remarkable. The ten-day festival included 310 rounds of racing, with more than 10,000 camels expected to participate.

But figures tell only part of the story. Events of this size bring together racing stables, trainers and camel owners from across the region and demonstrate that camel racing remains a serious competitive sport rather than simply a historical attraction for tourists.

For spectators, it was also an opportunity to see the unusual rhythm of modern camel racing at close range: camels accelerating along the track, robot jockeys in the saddle and vehicles following the field alongside the course.

Al Marmoom Heritage Festival 2025

Another important period in the Dubai camel racing calendar 2025 came in April, when Al Marmoom hosted major end-of-season racing.

Published racing records document competition across several days and different camel categories, with races taking place over distances including 5 km, 6 km and 8 km.

For anyone trying to understand the scale of camel racing in Dubai, these meetings are particularly revealing. Behind every camel on the track is a professional environment involving owners, trainers, breeding programs, veterinary care and months of preparation.

A New Side of Camel Racing – The C1 Championship

The 2025 calendar also demonstrated that camel racing continues to evolve. On November 8, the C1 Championship returned to Al Marmoom with international competitors taking part in a series originally created around female camel jockeys.

This presents a very different image from the robot jockey races most visitors associate with professional camel racing in Dubai. Human riders compete directly on the camels, bringing another dimension to a sport that continues to find new audiences while remaining connected to its regional roots.

The C1 program continued with another racing event and carnival in December.

How to Experience Camel Racing in Dubai

Although the events listed above belong to the 2025 season, the practical experience of visiting a camel race has changed relatively little. Al Marmoom remains one of the key places for visitors interested in seeing the sport in Dubai.

Race schedules and spectator arrangements can vary, so it is always advisable to check current information before travelling to the track.

Tips for Visitors

• Check the current schedule: Camel racing dates and starting times can change, so confirm the details shortly before travelling.
• Arrive early: Arriving before the racing begins gives you time to find the viewing areas and see some of the preparations around the track.
• Dress appropriately: Comfortable and modest clothing is a sensible choice when visiting a traditional sporting event in the UAE.
• Prepare for the weather: Al Marmoom is an outdoor desert location, so water and sun protection are useful.
• Take your camera: Racing camels, robot jockeys and the vehicles following alongside the track create scenes that are quite unlike most other racing sports.

Where to Watch Dubai Camel Racing Live

Some major camel racing events are also covered through television and online broadcasts. Availability varies from one competition to another, however, and visitors should not assume that every individual race will be streamed.

Our Dubai camel racing live page provides more information about following races when you cannot visit the track yourself.

Behind the Scenes: Preparing a Racing Camel

Long before spectators arrive at the track, much of the work behind a camel race has already taken place. Competitive racing camels require careful training, appropriate nutrition, veterinary attention and sufficient recovery between training sessions and races.

Experienced trainers gradually prepare their camels for competition, taking into account the animal’s age, physical condition and racing category. Training is therefore about much more than speed alone. Endurance, condition and recovery all play a role.

Training and Care

• Nutrition: Feeding is adapted to the camel’s age, physical condition and training requirements.
• Exercise: Training develops endurance and prepares the camel for the distances it will encounter during competition.
• Veterinary care: Health and physical condition are monitored as part of professional race preparation.
• Rest and recovery: Recovery periods are an important part of keeping a racing camel in good physical condition throughout the season.

Dubai Camel Racing Calendar 2025 – Looking Back at the Season

The Dubai camel racing calendar 2025 showed once again that this sport belongs to both the past and present of Dubai. Major festivals brought thousands of camels to Al Marmoom, while events such as the C1 Championship showed that camel racing continues to develop in new directions.

Perhaps that contrast is what makes the sport so interesting to visitors. Dubai is internationally associated with skyscrapers, luxury hotels and ambitious modern development. Yet beyond that familiar cityscape, camel racing continues a sporting tradition whose roots reach back generations.

The technology may have changed, professional training has developed and robot jockeys have become part of the modern race, but the camel itself remains at the centre of the spectacle.

Anyone interested in experiencing the sport today should consult the current racing calendar before travelling. You can also find more information about camel races in Dubai and upcoming events elsewhere on CamelRacingDubai.com.

Tagged With : Dubai Camel racing calender 2025