Chinese expatriate in UAE wins camel race

Chinese expat Alexis (Xiaozhe Huo) has won the second trial race for the Camel Trek Marathon at Dubai’s Al Marmoom racetrack.

A total of 11 expatriates from nine countries participated in the race.

Organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre (HHC), the annual Camel Trek Marathon is now open to expats in the UAE.

German national Linda Krockenberger and Russian-Armenian expat Nonna Akopian clinched the second and third spots, respectively.

Alexis said: “It was not just (a) physical race ... but also psychological. You need to have clarity of mind, avoid fear and be courageous in achieving your goal. The secret of winning the race is how I treat my camel.

“The camel feels the person riding it. If the rider is afraid, it will affect the performance of the camel; so you have to calm down and focus on the race. I hope to win again in the main race.”

The main Camel Trek Marathon will take place next month as part of the Arabian Camel Festival, held annually under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

Zainab Al Bisher, HHC’s Head of Initiatives, noted the camel race for expats is organised within the “framework of spreading tolerance among different cultures”.

• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi