Saudi Arabia to issue passports for millions of camels

Saudi Arabia has announced plans to issue passports to millions of camels across the kingdom in a bid to improve herd management and regulate the fast-growing camel economy.

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture said the initiative is designed to enhance “productivity and efficiency in the sector and build a reliable reference database for camels.”

A social media post by the ministry on Tuesday displayed the document, a green passport bearing the Saudi coat of arms and a golden image of a camel, according to Al Arabiya.

State-backed broadcaster Al Ekhbariya reported that the passport would help organise sales and trading activities by regulating transport and commerce, ensuring proper documentation, protecting owners’ rights and making proof of ownership easier.

In 2024, the government estimated the camel population in the kingdom at about 2.2 million. Camels have historically played a central role in Arabian life, serving as transport, symbols of status and the foundation of a lucrative breeding industry.

Saudi Arabia also hosts annual camel beauty contests where owners invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in their animals, sometimes leading to attempts to gain unfair advantages.

Organisers have recently stepped up efforts to curb cosmetic enhancements, despite stiff penalties. Authorities have frowned on practices aimed at making camels’ lips droopier or their humps more shapely, insisting on natural appearances.

Camels have been integral to life on the Arabian Peninsula for thousands of years. Research published in 2021 suggests that life-sized carvings of camels and horses etched into rock faces in Saudi Arabia may be up to 7,000 years old.