The King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, the largest in the Middle East, has been held since the beginning of this month in the desert northeast of the capital, Riyadh. Here the breeder can compete for the prize for the most beautiful camel. The jury judges the animals’ head, neck, hump and movements, and the winner gets the first prize of $66 million.

The appearance of a camel can also be improved by injecting Botox, but this is expressly forbidden in this competition. According to the news agency, the jury uses “specialized and advanced technology” to reveal the cosmetic procedures. For example, X-rays, ultrasound, and genetic tests are used to check if an animal’s appearance has not been tampered with.

Botox full lips

In this case, dozens of fraud cases were found: for example, camel lips were filled with Botox, fillers were used, and some animals were implanted with gel. The news agency reported that the guilty educators face “severe penalties”.

The festival lasts a total of forty days, and about 30 thousand camels participate in it every year. In addition to the camel competition, there are also camel races and large-scale trade. Camel farming is a multi-million dollar industry and similar events are held throughout the region.