THE BASICS, PART ONE The camel, according to Oxford Dictionaries, is a "large, long-necked ungulate mammal of arid country, with long slender legs, broad cushioned feet, and either one or two humps on the back".
THE BASICS, PART TWO From the genus Camelus, family Camelidae, there actually are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel, which has one hump, and the Bactrian camel, which has two humps. Both are working animals that provide milk and meat.
QUITE THE HISTORY War, trade, civilisation - all rode the camel's hump. The beast carried spices, incense, gold, ivory and silk along ancient trade routes from Asia and Africa across the Arabian Peninsula. And Bedouin warriors rode the dromedary into battle in the Muslim armies that conquered the Byzantine and Persian empires in the seventh century.
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THE BIOLOGY Camels do not store water in their humps, but their efficient fat metabolisation lets them go long periods without drinking. They can withstand body temperature changes that would kill most other animals.
AH, THE SPORT OF IT Professional camel racing has long been popular in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, India, Pakistan, Australia and Mongolia. The UAE was the first to ban the use of children under 15 as jockeys, in 2002. The sport fascinatingly now deploys robots.
THE BIG FESTIVALS Sorry, you just missed it, but the Al Dhafrah Festival in the UAE's Western Region features the world's major camel beauty competition. In the annual event last month, 20,000 camels vied for prizes worth Dh35 million. And this past week, more than 10,000 camels competed in a 4km race, beauty contests and an auction at the Sheikh Zayed Camel Race Grand Prix Festival in Al Wathba. Prizes totalling Dh30mn went to winners of 155 races.
THE NAME GAME Ali Al Saloom, M magazine's advice columnist, wrote in these pages last year that it is common for camels to be given names. "Ibil" and "Hijen" are the most common names for both genders. Other popular names reference male camels' procreative powers ("Al Fahl") and large size ("Addawser"); female names often note whether the beast has mated or given birth. And there are many names that describe how a camel drinks water.
YUM-YUM, PART ONE Camel milk is essentially a wonder food, although its marketing has a way to go to with, say, uninitiated Westerners. It is full of vitamins, minerals, proteins and immunoglobulins, and is lower in fat and cholesterol than cow's milk. The Instant Expert, intent on shedding his Ugly American image, vows to buy some on his next trip to LuLu.
YUM-YUM, PART TWO Camel meat has no cholesterol and the fat is concentrated almost entirely in the hump, which is considered a delicacy. Other preferred parts are the brisket, the ribs and the loin. As the meat can be dry, however, the Abu Dhabi Officers' Club, for one, serves a camel burger with beef or lamb fat mixed in, improving texture and taste.
GO FOR A RIDE! There are opportunities galore, especially at desert resorts and safaris to ride a camel in the UAE. Most camels trained for such purposes are docile and sweet. Give it a try - the Instant Expert did recently, and admiring the magnificent sand dunes from atop a gently undulating "ship of the desert" was sublime.
Six other noted camels
THE BAND The English progressive rock band Camel formed in 1971 and, except for a seven-year hiatus beginning in 1984, have released studio and live recordings steadily.
THE CIGARETTE The US company RJ Reynolds Tobacco released the Camel brand of cigarettes, noted for their Turkish tobacco, in 1913. The cartoon character Joe Camel was discontinued in 1997 and Camel paid millions of dollars to settle lawsuits accusing them of using the character to market smoking to children.
THE COLOUR Camel is a colour that - duh - resembles the colour of the hair of a camel. The first recorded use in English was in 1916.
THE FIGURE SKATING SPIN The camel is one of the three basic figure skating spins. In it, the free leg is extended backwards with the knee held above hip level.
THE MASCOT A fierce camel is the mascot of the sport teams at Connecticut College, a private liberal arts college in New London, Connecticut, in the north-east US.
THE RIVER The River Camel in Cornwall, UK rises on the edge of Bodmin Moor and issues into the Celtic Sea. The name comes from Cornish for "the crooked one".
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn
4/5 stars
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
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History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
BMW%20M4%20Competition
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OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.