UAE bucket list: What is the annual Camel Trek and how to take part

Every year, willing UAE residents set off for a once-in-a-lifetime voyage through the desert…

Ever wanted to experience what bedouin life in the desert was really like? The annual UAE Camel Trek is a challenging 12-day desert voyage that crosses three emirates and covers a total distance of 700km.

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Taking place in December, this bucket-list experience is organised by the Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Centre and is open and free to all UAE residents.

The journey begins in Aradah, Abu Dhabi and ends in Global Village, Dubai. It takes around 12 days to reach the destination by travelling 40 to 45km daily with a number of checkpoints to fuel up on food, drink, and tents for resting.

The selected group of adventurers venture on camel-back into a world of sweeping sands and endless dunes, embracing nature, challenging their endurance, and testing their patience as they travel in convoy.

Fun fact: In the past, camel trekkers have received a surprise visit from HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum…

How to take part

Think you have what it takes? Willing trekkers must register their interest online here, be above the age of 18 years old, and consider themselves healthy and fit.

Out of hundreds of applicants, only 20 to 30 UAE residents will be selected. The selected adventurers will then undergo extensive desert training with a bedouin, from how to ride a camel to how to survive in the desert.

Last year for the 10th edition, 34 camel riders were selected from 15 different nationalities. This year will be the 11th year the journey has taken place, providing an opportunity to “explore authentic culture and life as it once was on this land.”

For more information, visit hhc.gov.ae

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