By Claire Valdini

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UAE bans doping in racing camels

Owners caught using drugs on animals could see camels suspended from racing

By Claire Valdini
Jockeys compete in traditional camel race during the Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Camel Festival (AFP/Getty Images).
Jockeys compete in traditional camel race during the Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Camel Festival (AFP/Getty Images).

The UAE’s Camel Racing Association has banned doping in the sport, the body said.

Owners that are caught using any performance enhancing drugs, natural or synthesised, will be forced to forfeit any prizes and will see their camel suspended from racing for one year, the UAE state news agency WAM reported. 

Camel owners that repeatedly violate the rules will have all of their animals suspended from racing for one year and the violation noted on all placards at racecourses.

Camel racing is one of the UAE’s most popular sports, with the sporting season taking place from late October to early April. It is also a big business – owning a winning camel can be a lucrative investment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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