You may have heard that one of the most popular sports in the United Arab Emirates is camel racing. This sport is highly traditional and very popular among the Emiratis as well as falcon training. Camel racing in Dubai attracts spectators from all over the country. In this article, I want to tell you how we visited the camel race, and absolutely free of charge.
🐪 Camel racing in Dubai – photo and review
The distance from Dubai to Al Marmoom racetrack is about 37 km to the southeast. Honestly, it took us a long time to get there by bus and I was afraid that the race would be delayed or canceled. So I looked out the bus window to see if there were camels near the racetrack. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any animals and began to worry that we came for nothing. But suddenly at the entrance we saw camels following each other. And it was amazing!
Around the caravan of camels there were the chasers, sheikhs, riders, and other people. Hundreds of humans were waiting for the race.
Mike was shocked by the colorful crowd, held onto my leg, and was afraid to go near the camels. Well, actually, to my mind his fear could be justified. Nobody wants to get a spit in his face from a camel 🙂 Oops…
However, it is the best experience for a child. It’s not a zoo or a theme park, it is a real desert. In fact, the reason I took Mike to Dubai to show him the true spirit of Arabia, all the beauty of the region.
According to the old tradition, camels were ridden by young boys about 9-10 years old. Because of the children’s light weight, the camels could run faster. The high risk of falls and injuries has made this tradition a thing of the past. And nowadays no one rides camels anymore.
Thanks to technological progress Emirati people can use a special device with an antenna that is placed on the hump of each camel.
I couldn’t figure out how it works. But the man in this photo explained everything to me. Each gadget has a twig (not an antenna as I thought before) which makes the camel run as fast as it can. This whiplash hits the runner’s back at least 2 or 3 times per second with strong electronic power 🙁
Later we moved to the start line, where several animals were waiting for the beginning of the race. We took our observation point on a very comfortable bridge.
The owners of the animals drive along the tracks in their cars and control the camels as if they were robots.
The race takes from 7 to 15 minutes, depending on the route. About 15-20 camels participate in each race, and more than a hundred wait in line.
Anyone can watch the camel race from the tribune. Unfortunately, from the seats you can only see the finish line. So I recommend you better go to the bridge or stand somewhere along the track.
This trip was very exciting for our family.
🚦 How to get to Dubai Camel Racing on your own
There are three ways to get to the Dubai Camel Racing Club. It’s located outside the city, in the desert. You can go there by car, by bus or by taxi.
🚗 1. By car
Renting a budget car for 1 day in Dubai costs from $50, and gasoline in the UAE is very cheap. Take E66 Dubai – Al Ain Road southeast of Dubai. GPS coordinates: 24.968613, 55.490898. The best landmark on the map is Al Marmoum Heritage Village.
When we went to the camel race, we saw many tourists there who came by rented car. It’s really inexpensive and the most comfortable way to get to the desert.
🚕 2. By taxi
A cab to the camel race costs at least 80 dirhams one way (~25 US dollars). But you can’t catch a cab in the desert to go back to the city. So you have to ask for the driver to wait for you during the show. Of course, you have to pay extra for the waiting. For this reason, the final price of a taxi ride is about 250 dirhams (~70 US dollars). However, the fare may increase even more if you are going to the race from a distant part of Dubai.
🚌 3. By bus
We decided to get to Camel Racing Club by bus and it took us about an hour and a half. It’s the cheapest way to get there. And this is our route:
- Take the Green line Subway to get to Oud Metha metro station, go outside through Exit 1 Gate to the taxi and bus stop called Oud Metha Street (South).
- Just next to the right of the exit is the Oud Metha Metro Bus Stop. Here you need to take the bus №66 or №67. I didn’t think that the interval between buses is too long, especially on weekends, but it is. I took a photo of the schedule for my blog, you can see it.
However current bus schedules are always available in the Wojhati app, the official app of the Ministry of Public Transport in Dubai. You can download it from Google Play or AppStore.
- You have to go to the Jazira Poultry Farm stop. When you get off the bus, you will see statues of camels. So you’re here!
One way ticket fee is 7.5 dirhams. I’ve already written in my previous article how to pay fare in Dubai buses, trams and metro with a special NOL-card.
📅 Dubai camel race schedule
You can visit the camel racing from November to February every week. The show starts at 6 a.m. and at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Admission for spectators is absolutely free.
