They are tall, elegant, with thick eyelashes and voluptuous lips. No, they are not supermodels, they are camels, all purebreds completing for over AED 30 million at Al Dhafra Festival. Since its inaugural year, in 2008, the festival's camel mazayna (charm) competitors have inspired the creative imagination of the Western world. Truthfully, the camel mazayna competitors have to do with even more than simply elegance. They have to do with protecting the centuries old family of camel pure types in the Arabian Gulf. They are about passing on the knowledge and passion to the more youthful generation regarding carrying for camels. They are additionally regarding celebrating the ancient bond in between Bedu and camels, a bond that endured life's modern comforts and luxuries.

Over these past Ten Years and 11 editions of Al Dhafra Festival, the courts of the camel mazayna have actually observed a continuous improvement in the in the appearances of the participants. Inning accordance with the organisers, the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Board - Abu Dhabi, choosing the winners are a much harder work nowadays.

" The standards are the same. A winning camel must have big eyes framed with lush lashes, nose and lip that go down downward, long neck and legs, big feet and a high bulge," said Mr. Mohammed bin Adhed Al Muhairi, Director of the Camel Mazayna at Al Dhafra Festival.

" This year, however, we presented also tougher actions on individuals that are attempting to rip off. From time to time, we get a camel proprietor who attempts to enter in the competition a camel that has enhanced appearances. They spray the hump to change the camel's hair colour and even subject the camel to botox to plump its cheeks or lips. Our judges are experts and able to find such modifications, yet we also have numerous medical check ups for the camels, spotting any type of drugs provided to the camels, so there is no possibility of cheating," he included.

As in previous years, just Asayel, the gold brownish camels that originate in Oman, and Majahim, the black camels of Saudi Arabia, are permitted to participate in the camel mazayna competitions The 82 different camel competitions this year are divided into various classifications, based on the camels' age, ownership (sheikhs or basic) and numbers (private camels or finest looking groups of 4, six, 10 and so forth).

In the majority of classifications, the leading 10 winners are granted with rewards, starting from a Nissan Patrol SE (first place), AED 80,000 (2nd place) and AED 60,000 (third place) to AED 10,000 (tenth place).

Since Baynounah Camel Beauty Competitors came under the umbrella of Al Dhafra Festival 2 years earlier, there are also competitors for Emirati camels just. For these groups, the awards start with a Nissan Patrol Pick-Up (first place), AED 50,000 (second place), AED 40,000 (third place) and end with AED 10,000 (tenth place). One exception is the much anticipated Bayraq competition for the best group of 50 camels, which awards AED one million to each top winner (Asayel and Majahim). Considered one of the highlights of Al Dhafra Festival, the Bayraq will take place on December 23rd.

Emirati men and women challenge each other in cooking competitions

" Aseeda", a typical Emirati desert, was the initial meal to be prepared in the Food preparation Competitors at Al Dhafra Festival. In the heart of the festival's conventional market, a special walled off location, Emirati men and women test each various other with recipes they know since early childhood.

" Aseeda is a lotion like desert that is served cozy. There is a mouth-watering variant as well, yet it is mostly sweet. It has a spiced sugar taste, as it is made from caramelised sugar, saffron, turmeric and cardamom, additionally flour and 'dahna' - a yellow butter we utilize in the UAE - and, obviously water," stated Hamda Al Mazrouei, one of the competitors.

In the set up fire pits in the competitors location, the group of Emirati girls taking part in the competitions shows up with all required active ingredients, pots and firewood. In no time at all, they get a fire going and a few mins later on the food preparation commences. In just over half an hour, the whole process mores than. The big pots of "aseeda" are then positioned on after that established tables, awaiting the judges, cooking Emirati experts, to select the tastiest meals.

" Every evening we'll have various Emirati recipes in the competitors. Some will be for guys, such as the Arabic coffee, prepared from bean roasting to developing, also 'dabiha', sluggish prepared lamb with rice in collected hole in the ground and 'ghurs', mostly a breakfast dish of grinded bread combined with dates," explained Eman Al Mazrouei, among the festival's traditional market competitors organisers.

" For the ladies, there will certainly be competitors for 'marghouga', a bread stew, 'machbous', which is meat with rice and some sweet recipes too. This year, the food preparation competitors are for Emirati meals only, however from following year we intend to open them to GCC participants," she added.

Apart from cooking, there are additionally competitions for ideal made 'dhun' (melting scent), ideal made fragrance and a fashion show for Emirati ladies, the last happening on December 26, when the souk will only be opened up for females and children.

At the souk: daggers, perfumes and Sheikh Zayed's movie camera

Thousands of Emirati women arrive every early morning at Al Dhafra Festival with bags of products that top up the supplies of their stores in the Festival's souk. Trade and economic opportunities, particularly for the people of Abu Dhabi emirate's Al Dhafra region, have actually been a major emphasis of the yearly festival, together with Emirati heritage conservation, ever since it started in 2008.

Over this past years, Al Dhafra Festival's souk has been growing in both dimension and popularity. For the very first time in 2015, an interior market was constructed in the heart of the festival, appropriate alongside the outdoors typical souk, the hospitality majlis, the children's play ground area and simply across from the camel charm competitors field.

The 48,000 square meters souk location additionally includes this year a number of stands for the festival's advocates, such as Abu Dhabi Authorities, Tadweer and ADNOC. In the marketplace's major square, the Emirates Heritage Club is presenting an exhibit devoted to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, showing hardly ever seen things such as Sheikh Zayed's individual movie cam. It is an old Swiss version and Sheikh Zayed enjoyed using it to movie stormy days in the desert or camels, equines and falcons auto racings.

A brand-new effort dedicated to the Emirati hanjar has been introduced at the souk by the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Board - Abu Dhabi, and the Abu Dhabi Standard Cars Club is displaying cars as old as 1965.

In the outdoors market area, 100 shops, constructed to appear like old Emirati mud brick and palm leaf residences, are run by Emirati females craftsmens, crafts makers and business owners from throughout the nation. House made fragrances and scent, flavors, traditional gowns and accessories make the top products costing the souk this year. With many stores shared by two investors, there are over 160 girls participating in the marketplace this year.

"This is like an owner, which you can hold on a wall," discussed Fatima Al Mazrouei, from Madinat Zayed, explaining the red, black and orange rectangular cloth, which she made from woven woollen. "It has three pockets, where you could maintain all kinds of little items. My beginning price is AED 1,200".

According to her, the festival is an outstanding chance to offer her handicrafts. Annually she makes a minimum of AED 5,000 in revenue and this year she expects no much less.