Why has 2024 been declared 'The Year of the Camel' in Saudi?

Camels stand as more than mere animals in Arab and Bedouin culture; it's undeniable that camels embody a crucial part of the region's heritage and tradition.

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Known as the 'ship of the desert,' these majestic creatures have been integral to Arab livelihoods for centuries. They've been companions in harsh terrains, providing transportation, milk, and sustenance, and have played pivotal roles in both trade and social customs.

And, the Saudi Arabian Council of Ministers has declared that 2024 will be 'The Year of the Camel', celebrating and honouring the distinctive cultural significance held by camels in the Arabian Peninsula and to Saudi locals.

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Revered for their resilience and adaptability to the harsh and arid environment of the desert and beyond, camels have shaped the very essence of Bedouin and traditional Saudi life, symbolising wealth, generosity, and hardy nature.

The significance of camels in Saudi culture is reflected in various practices such as the ever popular camel racing, and in poetry, art, and folklore, acknowledging the deep-rooted connection between the Arab and Bedouin people and these extraordinary animals.

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Camels are even depicted in the protected UNESCO Memory of the World, the stone carvings of Jabal Ikmah. These epigraphs and petroglyphs are carved into the sandstone rock faces, and the collection consists of nearly 300 valuable inscriptions crafted by the ancient Dadanite and Lihyanite civilisations.