A unique beauty pageant in Saudi Arabia that is specifically for camels included women instead of only men as the animals' owners participating in the event for the first time, DW News reported on Monday.
The festival is located in the highly conservative Rumah region. Camel riders as young as seven participated in the competition.
The camel contest previously only featured male-owned animals. Women still struggle to obtain equal rights in the nation and have faced discrimination under 'guardianship laws.'
Around the same time as the Miss Universe competition in Eilat, a previous "Miss Camel" event saw many of its camels banned from the King Abdulaziz Festival for Botox injections and other artificial enhancements, according to Arabic media.
Other modifications included gel implants and rubber-band body distortion as a way to make one's camel more captivating to the judges. The contestants are usually judged on racing, beauty and obedience.
This camel beauty pageant is taking place in a highly conservative region of Saudi Arabia — and for the first time, women are participating too. pic.twitter.com/OcAXqzkHbo
— DW News (@dwnews) January 10, 2022
The pageant is the largest camel appreciation event in the world.