Matrouh is Holding Its First Camel Racing Festival

Camel racing does sound like a niche Arabian sport, doesn't it? But as a matter of fact, one of the biggest events in the world takes place in Queensland, home to Australia's Boulia Camel Races. Bet you didn't know that. Well, in Egypt, camel races have been the forte of Sinai and Ismailia for a number of years. Now the sport is extending to Matrouh as well, where they're setting up their first ever camel racing festival with ambitions to upstage the rest of the international scene!

The governor of Matrouh, Major General Khaled Shuaib, has been in talks with the president of the International Federation of Camel Racing in the UAE, who have given Matrouh 20 robot riders to help train the camels during the training and orientation stages.

Currently, it looks like the festival will take place in the village of Abu Zaribeh. The camel races are scheduled to be held in May 2021, with the hope that they will bring some (surprisingly) international appeal to the governorate.