The dust behind the caravans of camels and automobiles riding on Million Road is beginning to raise in the last of the day's sunlight. The daily mazainah - appeal - programs more than and the Bedouins are directing their camels back to the camp. Some are vocal singing and dance around the lovely animals, appearing the horns of their 4x4s to introduce a top reward win at one of the competitions. Crossing the sand fields from the primary sector for the camel competitors, the caravans get in the Million Road, flanked by little shops and coffee shops. On either side of the vast, unpaved roadway that takes place for over 10 kilometers right into the desert, Bedouin camps spread for as far as the eye can see.

This is the sight of Al Dhafra Festival, a sight that has actually grown ever much more preferred every year for the past years. Organised by the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Board - Abu Dhabi, this 10th edition, ready to come to an upright December 29th, was everything, and probably much more than the organisers expected.

" The Festival went extremely well. The GCC involvement in the 72 camel competitions this year was really high and the biggest contest, the Bayraq lap awarding AED one million for the best looking group of 50 camels in each gold Asayel and black Mujahim camels groups, is yet to happen on December 29th," claimed Abdullah Butti Al Qubaisi, Director of Communications Department at the Board.

" This year we included 2 new competitors, the falcon and saluki mazainah, which enhanced the returning falcon and saluki racing contests. Both competitors drew in a big variety of individuals," he included. Part of the ancient practices of Arabia, the new saluki and falcon shows were implied to branch out the heritage tasks at Al Dhafra Festival, and they both verified extremely preferred with thousands of individuals contending for the leading reward of AED 15,000 (first place winners in saluki beauty groups) and AED 75,000 (first place victors in falcon appeal groups).
" We saw this year lots of falconers involving the Festival. For the first time, Al Marzoum Conventional Hunting Premises took part. They not only arranged the falcon elegance program, but also established an unique majlis for falconer at the Festival, which was preferred," mentioned Al Qubaisi.

" An additional unique addition this year was a tent devoted to aquatic life. The UAE has very abundant aquatic traditions and in the old days seaside individual utilized to invest the summer months in the desert, where the warm is extra manageable, with much less moisture, so it is suitable to bring the sea heritage into the desert Festival. The aquatic outdoor tents, with exhibitions and demos of typical angling and pearl diving was a success. A great deal of site visitors came in, inquiring about the numerous fishing devices and how do they work.".

" We had a great number of site visitors, not just UAE nationals and residents, but travelers also from the Gulf and past, a sign that the Festival has truly reached maturation. I should claim, Al Dhafra Festival would certainly not have had such a wonderful success without its sponsors. I would truly like to say a big thank you to ADNOC, ENOC, Secure Tech, Etihad Rail, Bin Hamoodah Auto, Al Masaood Automobiles, all our sponsors and, naturally, federal government advocates," wrapped up Al Qubaisi. Given that the initial day of Al Dhafra Festival, December 13th, at the very least 20,000 camels were thought to camp below, the majority of entering in the 72 camel competitors, in addition to over 1,500 participants from throughout GCC countries.

Their camping outdoors tents, not missing out on a majlis for obtaining guests, would certainly always invite site visitors, using them the traditional Emirati hospitality - Arabic coffee, days and fresh camel milk. As daytime gave into starry night skies, tiny fires began to flicker before each camp and a rainbow of colours illuminated the desert, as each camp was enhanced with lights in the nationwide colours of participants' nations. This was the moment when the souk came to life. The major phase beside the kids' playground would keep children and households delighted with different shows and competitors, the event hall would take site visitors on a trip right into the past with imaginative pictures showing life in the old days, the vintage cars and heritage shows would certainly open up other home windows right into Emirati practices, while the food trucks and cafes would provide a break to site visitors trying to find one more keepsake among the 100 brand-new stores constructed this year outdoors market location.

Al Dhafra Festival will certainly end on Thursday, December 29th, with the most significant and final camel mazainah show-- the Bayraq competition - and the award ceremony for the Dates Packaging competitors.