Mafarid Race Opens Saudi Camel Racing Season on June 13th

The Mafarid race, the opening event of Saudi Arabia’s 2026-2027 camel racing season, is set to begin on June 13th with a prize pool exceeding SAR 2.5 million.
Held at Taif Camel Square, the competition will be contested across 156 rounds spread over three stages and will feature races for Mafarid-category camels.
The first stage will take place over two days beginning June 13th and will include 66 rounds run over a distance of 1,500 metres. Competitions will feature the Bakkar and Qadan categories, covering young female and male camels, in addition to general Bakkar races. The second stage is scheduled to begin on June 27th and will also be held over two days. Like the opening stage, it will comprise 66 rounds over 1,500 metres across the same racing categories.
The final stage will be held on July 18th and will feature 24 rounds contested over a two-kilometre course.
Among the concluding races will be four cup rounds, including two reserved exclusively for Saudi-bred camels. The Mafarid race traditionally marks the start of the camel racing calendar and serves as the opening event of the new season, bringing together owners, trainers and competitors from across the Kingdom.