RIYADH - Camel

breeding in the Arabian Peninsula does not die with modernity and the passage of time, especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which launched an electronic platform entitled "Wathiqha", aimed at preserving and documenting the breed of camels, using their DNA and giving them a personal card.

The “Wathhaha” platform is a huge database that collects about camels with the genetic link “DNA” (DNA) of 11 species, which is one of the vital characteristics that distinguish living organisms from each other and prove and deny the linkage between them, and targets in its first stage camels that acquire the trait of Mazaen, provided that the second phase includes all camels in Saudi Arabia.

The Camel Club and King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center supervise the platform from both technical and clinical aspects, as the club aims to be the world leader in organizing camel breeds, documenting their records, and building a database through which the genetic link between all breeds is done, in addition to building a study A scientific comparison between the original Arab breeds and the imported ones, harmonizing research efforts related to camels, advocating for their improvement, and creating a clear environment for them.

Al-Mazayen Apples, their prices reach millions of riyals (Al-Jazeera)

Breed keeping

The CEO of the Camel Club, Eng. Bandar Al-Qahtani, explained that due to the lack of records documenting information related to camels, the club has initiated the implementation of the “Wathhaha” platform to register, document and preserve camel breeds, and to facilitate operations and procedures for owners, considering that preserving the camel breed is very important for the seller and owner as well. Above all, the preservation of these ancient and rare breeds in all the Arab region.

Al-Qahtani said that the platform contains the data of all targeted camel owners to enable them to issue an electronic document for each camel ride and to access the documents of their camels and obtain them electronically.

He believed that the “Wathhaha” platform helps the Camel Club perform its tasks during the competitions and festivals it organizes by having clear and documented records, and that this platform works to preserve the camel breed and its tree sequence for the sake of the seller and owner and to preserve ancient and rare breeds, pointing out that it will give each owner Authenticated card for one ride, male or female, containing the necessary information with details of characteristics and identification of the movement.

Obtaining breed documentation will be a condition for entering the King Abdulaziz Festival in its seventh edition, where each certified owner will be given a ride card containing the necessary information with details of characteristics and identification of mobility.

Personal cards will constitute a breakthrough in the preservation of camel breeds, unlike the slides (Al-Jazeera)

great importance

In turn, Saudi breeder Salem Rashid bin Jahim praised the initiative to issue personal cards for camels, because of its great importance in facilitating the movement of camels, and transferring them from one country to another smoothly, as happens in passports for horses and birds.

Bin Jahim told Al Jazeera Net that the presence of camel slides will facilitate the process of issuing personal cards, through which all information about camels will be transferred easily, and then save the camel breed and its tree sequence, whether for the sake of the seller and owner or to preserve ancient and rare breeds.

He expressed his hope that this initiative will see the light soon, and that it will be implemented in various festivals, in light of the great demand from Saudi owners to register their camels, especially as this will make the movement of camels a chain through the land ports between the various Gulf countries for the purpose of participating in the festivals.

The “Wathehaha” platform collects and preserves camel information from the ancestral aspect, with the provision of DNA analysis services, examination, results, documentation and certification, with the issuance of the passport and the pedigree tree.

For his part, Saudi breeder Muhammad Abdul-Hadi Al-Marri described the issuance of personal cards for camels as a positive initiative that will have a major role in the coming years in preserving the camel's heritage and how to preserve its authentic breeds.

Al-Marri describes the issuance of personal cards for camels as a positive initiative (Al-Jazeera)

great response

Al-Marri told Al-Jazeera Net that the personal cards for camels will be completely different from the currently recognized slides, as the slides are relied upon in order to preserve the halal name and transfer ownership from one person to another, while the personal card will result in saving many different and rare breeds of camels.

He explained that the great response from owners to registering and documenting their camels will be a success for this initiative, which will benefit everyone, starting with owners and passing through large institutions as well as various sectors interested in animal wealth, especially camels.

Many competitions and special races for camels are organized in the Gulf region, especially in Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with prizes amounting to millions of riyals, with prizes exceeding 10 million riyals, equivalent to 2.75 million US dollars.