The Camel Souq: The Outdoor Shopping Mall for Afficionados

[gallery columns='5' ids='662278,662277,662281,662279,662280'] Adjacent to every major camel racing event or training centre, you can find a camel souq, where all manner of goods from souvenirs to stock-food, halwa to henna, clothing to coffee and leather-goods to lucerne. All the supplies and accoutrements to keep the camel trainer, his staff and animals, fed, healthy and happy. Several trucks and utility vehicles were parked adjacent to the road near the roundabout at the entrance to the complex, and here a diverse assortment of camel feeds could be purchased, but the most evident form of feed was the lucerne, or alfalfa, either in bales as hay or as freshly cut, in smaller bales. Alfalfa is a clover type legume, that has been used as stock fodder for over 2500 years, since the days of the prime Iranian and Hellenic Greek civilisations. Known more widely as lucerne in Europe, it is prized as a thoroughbred horse feed offering a notable nutritional boost through quick release, and its complete absorption. Further, like clover, it is a low calorie, nutrient high, vitamins C and K and traces elements, protein rich ‘superfood.’ It grows well in arid climates, and because it has fast growth and re-growth, with short turnaround harvests, it can be cut and made to hay four times a year. Salim al Junaibi offered to sell me some and roared with laughter when I told him my cat doesn’t eat it, and I don’t have a camel. “Don’t worry’’, he said, “I sell you camel too!” He is probably still chuckling. Hamdan bin Salim al Wahaibi, from Bidiya, has a colourful stall at the Al Bashayer Camel Racing Festival, at which he offers Lambskin Water Carriers, Woven Lambswool Purses, Belts, Bags and high-quality Camel Sticks. He attends all major racing events but has a thriving made-to-order business as well. From the same region, but her home in Ibri, a cheerful Afra Al Darai focuses on souvenirs and handicrafts. Just 50 metres up the row, Hamed al Wahaibi and his wife, Moza al Wahaibi, from Mahout, have their extensive tented stall, which they insist is “smaller than our big one’’, that appears to have everything conceivable for outfitting a camel in training, saddles, bridles, covers and charms are all part of their ‘travelling roadshow’ which can be found at camel racing events and festivals throughout the GCC, while they still have a significant shop at Mahout. Their business has been going for more than 20 years, and they proudly display certificates of commendation from numerous camel racing authorities. The pandemic has severely affected the trade of the souq vendors this year, as there are no tourists and few spectators are attending events, yet one and all retain their cheery nature and traditional charm. I’m guessing this trading sector has had no help in negotiating Covid, and the ‘rainy day money’, is probably gone by now, but I never heard a murmur or saw a glimmer of discontent in all my discussions with the traders, whose pragmatism could well be mirrored in many global environments as an exercise in tolerance, understanding. A positive side issue was that it appears that the pandemic messages are ‘getting through’, as mask compliance across the entire campus of the event was excellent!   By Ray Petersen