“Nothing is more precious than the camel's milk,” said Yaslam Al Seiari, 65, as he watched his team milk Al Rahi, a locally bred animal.
A large metal dish collected the frothy white milk.
“When you drink it, you feel that unique taste … and it gives you energy and boosts your morale.”
Mr Al Seiari lives in Al Ain. But during the annual camel milking competition at Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival, he and his team set up a tent in the sands of Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi, for several days.
“We don't move out of here until the competition ends.”
About 300 camels from the UAE and other Gulf countries are taking part in the six-day contest, which runs until Tuesday and aims to promote and preserve Emirati heritage. The camels compete in three categories according to breed.
“I have around 30 to 40 camels. Three camels are participating in the camel milking competition, each belongs to one category: Al Majahim [dark-skinned camels from Saudi Arabia]; Mahaliyyat [those from the UAE and Oman]; and Maftouh [From other countries],” Mr Al Seiari said.
The camels are milked twice a day: first after sunrise and then in the afternoon. The milk is weighed before the organising committee and recorded daily. The camel that produces the greatest yield wins.
Mr Al Seiari described the significance of camel milking in the past.
“We are Bedouins,” he said. “[If] they had visitors, they would host them, slaughter a camel and serve its meat for dinner and milk a camel for them to drink.”
In those days, Mr Al Seiari's camels used to graze the ground and survive for up to 10 days without water. But now his camels are being fed properly.
“If your camel has been well fed, milk it and it will produce, for example, 13kg milk in the morning and 9kg to 10kg in the afternoon.”
After Al Rahi’s milk was measured, the team poured some of it into a bottle and fed her four calves. The rest was distributed among camel owners, handlers and visitors.
“This is a tradition [we should hold on to],” Mr Al Seiari said. “The late [UAE Founding Father] Sheikh Zayed, may he rest in peace and may his children long live, said: Camels are a graceful gift to us. Don't be complacent.”
Mohsin Al Menhali, 36, is counting on his 7-year-old camel Mabrouka, which he selected from among 50 camels at his farm in Abu Dhabi. “I purchased this camel for Dh100,000,” he said.
“I won second place in Al Dhafra competition a month ago. I am hoping to win the first place at Sheikh Zayed Festival.”
Mabrouka belongs to the dark-skinned Majahim breed that are originally from Najd in Saudi Arabia.
“The Majahim camels produce lots of milk while the local red camels are light and good for racing,” he added.
Mr Al Menhali’s father and his older brothers participated in milking competitions for 20 years. When Mr Al Menhali grew up, he carried on with the tradition. Later, he says, his younger brothers and children will take the reins.
He explains how he learned to milk camels.
“In childhood, I used to accompany my father. He trained me since I was a child. We have inherited this tradition from our forefathers, since 500 or 1,000 years ago.”
“In the olden days, people loved to drink camel milk. It is nutritious and is a substitute to food and water. If a person falls ill, milk was given as a boosting nutrient. There was no need to eat if you drank milk.”
Mr Al Menhali said special attention is now given to the camel’s diet to ensure the yield is bountiful.
“Camels feed on berseem [green grass eaten by animals], this is the most important food they eat. Next are bread and dates as these increase the milk produce.”
At the end of the milking competition, the winner of each of the three categories will be awarded a prize of Dh300,000. The runner-up will receive Dh200,000 and the third-place competitor will get Dh100,000.
“We love this competition despite that the prizes were little,” Mr Al Menhali said. “But today, thanks to God and our sheikhs, especially [Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs] Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, prizes have increased to Dh300,000 and Dh200,000. This is a good prize.
“This is why people buy more camels and the number of participants increases yearly. More competitions arise and more prizes are awarded.
“Our country values traditions and we love our country because of its rich heritage.”
Challenge Cup result:
1. UAE 3 faults
2. Ireland 9 faults
3. Brazil 11 faults
4. Spain 15 faults
5. Great Britain 17 faults
6. New Zealand 20 faults
7. Italy 26 faults
Sleep Well Beast
The National
4AD
The biog
Favourite book: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Favourite holiday destination: Spain
Favourite film: Bohemian Rhapsody
Favourite place to visit in the UAE: The beach or Satwa
Children: Stepdaughter Tyler 27, daughter Quito 22 and son Dali 19
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures and results:
Monday, UAE won by three wickets
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
RESULT
Valencia 3
Kevin Gameiro 21', 51'
Ferran Torres 67'
Atlanta 4
Josip Llicic 3' (P), 43' (P), 71', 82'
The biog
Name: Sarah Al Senaani
Age: 35
Martial status: Married with three children - aged 8, 6 and 2
Education: Masters of arts in cultural communication and tourism
Favourite movie: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Favourite hobbies: Art and horseback ridding
Occupation: Communication specialist at a government agency and the owner of Atelier
Favourite cuisine: Definitely Emirati - harees is my favourite dish
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20CarbonSifr%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202022%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Onur%20Elgun%2C%20Mustafa%20Bosca%20and%20Muhammed%20Yildirim%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Climate%20tech%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%241%20million%20raised%20in%20seed%20funding%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
Brief scores:
Toss: Kerala Knights, opted to fielf
Pakhtoons 109-5 (10 ov)
Fletcher 32; Lamichhane 3-17
Kerala Knights 110-2 (7.5 ov)
Morgan 46 not out, Stirling 40
