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Saudi Pro League Announcement

# Camel Racing Is Going Professional — And the World Is Watching


For decades, camel racing was the best-kept secret in international sport. That era is officially over.


The announcement is in: Saudi Arabia is moving toward the world's first professional camel racing league — and the sport that once seemed confined to dusty desert tracks is now attracting global investors, international media, and one of football's most recognizable names.


This is the moment camel racing goes mainstream. Here's what you need to know.


## The Professional League Taking Shape


Teams like Al Haboob are already competing across the Gulf circuit — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait — in a structure that increasingly resembles professional sport as the West understands it. Organized seasons. Points systems. Significant prize pools. And now, serious international investment.


The 2024 AlUla Camel Cup alone featured a total prize pool of nearly £5 million, with more than 10,000 camels competing over four days. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended personally — a signal of how seriously the Kingdom is positioning camel racing as a global sporting property.


The next phase is a formal professional league structure, and the groundwork is already being laid.


## Paul Pogba Joins As Shareholder and Ambassador


In December 2025, French World Cup winner Paul Pogba became the first professional footballer to invest in a camel racing team, joining Al Haboob as shareholder and ambassador.


For those outside the Gulf sports world, the announcement raised eyebrows. For those paying attention, it made complete sense.


"My passion really started when I began spending more time in the Middle East over the last couple of years," Pogba said. "Every time I came out here, I found myself more intrigued by the culture, the people, and the traditions. Camel racing kept popping up in conversations, in local events, even in small things I'd notice when travelling around. There's a whole world behind this sport — history, family ties, competition, pride."


Pogba is not a curiosity. He is a signal. When athletes of his profile start associating themselves with a sport, mainstream media follows. Sponsorship conversations follow. New audiences follow.


## Why This Matters Beyond the Gulf


Camel racing has existed for centuries. What's changing is the infrastructure around it.


Elite racing camels now sell for up to £3.8 million. The sport has transitioned from child jockeys — now banned across the UAE and Qatar — to sophisticated remote-controlled robotic jockeys that have made it both safer and more technologically fascinating to watch. Modern race tracks in Dubai, Riyadh, and Doha are world-class sporting facilities.


The missing piece has always been global English-language coverage. No ESPN equivalent. No fan development platform. No destination for the millions of curious fans who see a robot-jockey reel go viral on Instagram and have nowhere to go for more.


That's exactly what we're building at Humpday Stats — and why we're here for this moment.


## What to Watch in 2026


- Al Haboob's 2026 campaign: The team opened their season at the Al Bashayer Festival in Oman and is competing across the Gulf circuit all year.

- C1 Championship, Dubai: The world's only independent multi-race series for human jockeys, now in its fifth season. Season 2025/2026 champion in the women's category: Laura Jurs (DEN).

- AlUla Camel Cup: Saudi Arabia's marquee event, historically held in April, with prize pools in the millions.

- Dubai season (October–April): The Al Marmoom track hosts hundreds of races throughout the season, running daily from 7am to 2pm.


Bookmark this page. We'll be covering every major development as the professional league takes shape.


Humpday Stats is the English-language home for camel racing news, results, and athlete profiles. Check back every Wednesday for the latest from tracks around the world.


 
 

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