Camel racing is one of the oldest sports in the Gulf, and the Al Marmoom Camel Racing Track about 40 kilometres southeast of the city is where Dubai's racing season runs from October to April. Races take place on Friday and Saturday mornings, typically starting around 7am. Entry is free.
The spectacle is unusual in ways that go beyond the camels: since 2005, jockeys have been replaced by robot riders — small joystick-controlled machines strapped to the camels' backs, operated by trainers following in Land Cruisers along the inside of the track. The races are fast, chaotic, and entirely free of tourist infrastructure. The track is genuinely local — this is not staged for visitors. Arriving early to watch the camels being prepared and warmed up is as interesting as the races themselves.
story: > Until 2005, camel racing in the UAE relied on child jockeys, many of them trafficked from South Asia and Africa. After significant international pressure and domestic reform, the UAE banned the practice and developed the world's first camel-racing robot jockey. The robots, now used across the Gulf, weigh about 2.7kg and are controlled remotely by trainers who follow the track in convoy.