Saudi Arabia Plans to Issue Passport for Camels
Saudi Arabia - In February, Saudi authorities announced plans to issue passports for millions of camels in the kingdom, to help better manage the country's valuable camel herds.
The Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture promises that this initiative will increase "productivity and efficiency in this sector and build a reliable reference database for camels."
A social media post from the ministry on Tuesday included a picture of the document: a green passport stamped with the country's emblem and an image of a golden camel, according to Al Arabiya from AFP (10/3).
The passport will "contribute to organizing sales and trade operations by regulating trade and transportation, ensuring official documentation, protecting the rights of owners, and facilitating proof of ownership," according to state-run television station Al Ekhbariya.
In 2024, the government estimates there are around 2.2 million camels in the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia launches Camel Passport to document ownership, identity, breeds, and health records. pic.twitter.com/DNcE6lZetq
— KSA Expats (@ksaexpats) February 4, 2026
According to the ministry, the camel ID card will be an official document containing information about the animal, its type, and its owner, reported by TASS.
The main feature of this document is a detailed vaccination record, which will allow the creation of accurate and reliable medical files for each camel and facilitate efforts to monitor infectious diseases across the population.
The ministry added that the passport will also simplify the process of verifying ownership rights and improve selective breeding practices for farmers.
It is known that camels have long been a vital mode of transportation in Saudi Arabia, giving their owners status and encouraging the growth of a lucrative livestock industry.
The kingdom also hosts camel beauty contests at annual festivals, where fans spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on the animals that become contestants, while unscrupulous parties sometimes seek illegal profit.
In recent years, regulators have cracked down on harmful cosmetic practices, a practice that has grown rapidly amid fierce competition and despite heavy penalties.
The method of making the camel's lips more loose and the hump more shaped is very disliked by the authorities who want to encourage a natural appearance.
Camels have been an important part of life on the Arabian Peninsula for thousands of years, with research published in 2021 suggesting camel and horse carvings as large as the originals carved into rock surfaces in Saudi Arabia may be around 7,000 years old.