King Abdulaziz Camel Festival
King Abdulaziz Camel Festival takes place Dec 2026 - Jan 2027 (annual, roughly 40 days; dates set by the Saudi Camel Club) in Rumah, Saudi Arabia. The dress code is Modest, conservative dress in line with local custom; warm layers for cold desert nights. Free to attend; budget up to 200 EUR per person for hospitality and extras.
A sprawling weeks-long celebration of camel culture on the plains northeast of Riyadh, with Mazayna beauty contests, racing and prize purses among the largest in any animal competition on earth. The site grows into a temporary city of heritage villages, auctions and souks - one of the great gatherings of the Arabian Peninsula, almost unseen by Western visitors.
- When
- Dec 2026 - Jan 2027 (annual, roughly 40 days; dates set by the Saudi Camel Club)
- Where
- Rumah, Saudi Arabia
- Dress code
- Modest, conservative dress in line with local custom; warm layers for cold desert nights
- Cost
- Free to attend; budget up to 200 EUR per person for hospitality and extras.
- Weather
- 15 - 22C cool days, cold 5 - 10C nights
- When to book
- No advance tickets for general entry; check the Camel Club and webook.com for arena sessions once the season is announced
- Getting there
- RUH (Riyadh), ~1.5 hr by road to the al-Sayahid grounds near Rumah
- Where to stay
- The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh, Mansard Riyadh, a Radisson Collection Hotel
- Official site
- https://www.visitsaudi.com
How to attend
General entry is free and open to all. Self-drive or take a tour from Riyadh (about 1.5 hours) to the al-Sayahid grounds near Rumah; some arena sessions are ticketed via webook.com. Exact season dates are announced by the Saudi Camel Club in autumn, so confirm before travelling.
General entry is free and no ticket is sold; the Saudi Camel Club only confirms the season in the autumn, and the few ticketed arena sessions appear on webook.com after that.
Insider tip
Go by day for the Mazayna beauty judging and by night for the souk and shows - and fuel up before leaving Riyadh, as services near the site are sparse.
Get inside King Abdulaziz Camel Festival
Booking matters here: no advance tickets for general entry; check the Camel Club and webook.com for arena sessions once the season is announced. Members track that window, what it really costs, and 573 more events across the season.
Free while in beta. One email when your invitation is ready, nothing else.