Robots to the rescue - 18th November 2022

Robots are now playing a vital role in the centuries old sport of camel racing. Known as the 'Sport of Sheikhs', races take place across the Middle East, where camels were once the primary form of transport for the Bedouin tribes.

In racing, the camel jockeys are required to be as light as possible. This resulted in children, as young as four, being used to ride the animals. There were increasing accusations of child trafficking and human rights abuses as children were starved, to make them as light as possible.

International condemnation of these abuses led, in 2002, to the UAE banning the use of riders under the age of 15. A year earlier, Qatar had initiated the development of robot riders. However, this came with its challenges. They worked with a Swiss robotics company, but early designs frightened the camels, who were used to human riders. Thus, designs were modified to give the robots more humanoid features. They were adorned in more familiar racing silks with hats and sunglasses.

The robot jockeys were also hefty, coming in at 16 - 18 kilograms. They also suffered badly from the effects of the pounding heat and dust of the desert. Cheaper, lighter models were developed that weighed just two to three kilograms, and further developments included two way radio controls and later, voice control systems.

Owners now race along the side of the track, in SUVs, yelling commands over speaker systems, which see the robot direct the camel. A remote controlled whip spurs the desert beasts on to the finishing line.

Though the camel jockeys have changed, the camel owners' hunger for winning remains unchanged.

Ali Zawayed: "I have several camels participating today, and I came first in the 8th stage of the race. The challenge was strong, but thank God, I made it and my camel got first place."