Saudi Arabia is taking part in the International Camel Parade in Paris on Saturday, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The parade is organized by the French Federation for Camel Development in France and Europe, in celebration of the United Nations designation of 2024 “The Year of Camelids.”
The event is sponsored by the Saudi Ministry of Culture and the Camel Club in Saudi Arabia. The Ministry’s participation aims to promote international cultural exchange as one of the strategic objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Various international camel-related organizations and federations, including government officials, camel breeders and enthusiasts are expected to participate in the parade, which involves camels, dromedaries, llamas and alpacas.
The parade aims to highlight camels as a cultural symbol associated with Saudi society, by introducing the international community to the “Year of the Camel 2024” initiative in the Kingdom.
This year marks the third time for the parade. It was first held in 2019, and then in 2022. It will travel across the streets of Paris for the first time since 1926, passing by the Eiffel Tower, and will conclude its activities in front of the headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris.
More than 30 countries are set to participate in the parade with over 50 camels. These countries include the US, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Canada, India, Morocco, Tanzania, Peru, Algeria, the Czech Republic, Pakistan, Tunisia, Austria, Spain, Burundi, Senegal, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritania, France, Sudan, Chad, Angola, the UK and Uganda.
On the parade’s eve, discussions were held at the Chateau de Janvry’s historical center about camel-related heritage and cultural aspects around the world, focusing on the specific contributions of each country to the International Year of Camelids 2024.
The Kingdom played a significant role in launching the International Year of Camelids 2024, initiated by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), to promote the camel sector and highlight its importance in achieving food security and economic growth.
