Ambassadors guests at Al Dhafra camel festival

A group of ambassadors visited the Western Region on Saturday, touring Al Dhafra Festival and Shams 1.

ABU DHABI // A group of foreign ambassadors were treated with a visit to Al Dhafra Festival in Madinat Zayed as part of a Western Region tour on Saturday.

The envoys watched a camel beauty contest, called the mazayna, and the traditional souq.

They were also taken to the Shams 1 solar energy plant.

Among them was Mpetjane Kgaogelo Lekgoro, South Africa’s ambassador to the UAE.

“The tour is very exciting for my wife and I,” Mr Lekgoro said. It takes us through the Arabian culture in terms of clothing, perfumes and so on.”

An organiser explained to the visitors the types of camel in the contest and how they are judged.

Camel owners from across the region attend the mazayna to show off their asayel camels, light-coloured animals native to the UAE and Oman, and majahim, darker camels from Saudi Arabia.

The ambassadors also bought souvenirs at the 180 souq stalls run by Emirati women.

“I’m pleased to be here,” said Norwegian ambassador Sten Anders Berge. “The tour is very fascinating and useful because it’s extremely interesting to be able to get a closer look at the UAE’s culture and heritage.”

Shams 1, which was opened in March of this year, is the largest working solar power plant in the UAE. It has an area of 2.5 square kilometres and the capacity to power 20,000 homes.

Al Dhafra Festival, which is free to the public, features contests, races and other events celebrating Emirati heritage. It runs until December 28.