43 camels barred from Saudi Arabia  beauty pageant over botox and cosmetic enhancements

Camel breeding and competitions are a multi-million dollar industry in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. File Picture: Pexels

43 entrants at a camel beauty pageant in Saudi Arabia have been disqualified from the competition for using cosmetic enhancements and botox injections.

The King Abdulaziz Camel Festival is held annually in the desert northeast of the country's capital, Riyadh. 

Breeders and owners from across the Middle East take part in a bid to win the top prize worth roughly €58m.

Judges select the best camel based on things like the shape of the animals’ heads, humps, necks, postures, and dress.

Such is the intensity of the popular event that organisers have clamped down on the use of certain cosmetic procedures in recent years, as breeders and owners seek to gain an advantage over their competitors. 

According to the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA), this year’s competition saw a record number of camels prohibited from taking part.

SPA reported that, in advance of the competition, the animals were led into a specially designed hall in which all of their movements were examined through the use of x-ray and 3D ultrasound machines.  

27 animals were disqualified for having displayed “stretched body parts” and 16 more were banned for having received cosmetic injections, including botox.

"The club is keen to halt all acts of tampering and deception in the beautification of camel,” the report said.

While the camel beauty contest is among the main events of the 40-day festival, there are many others, including camel racing.

Camel breeding itself is a multi-million dollar industry in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

As many as 100,000 competitors and spectators are expected to attend this year’s event.