RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Culture has launched a Camel Studies Grant — a new research program designed to highlight the camel's significance across the Kingdom's cultural, social, and economic life through peer-reviewed scientific research.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the grant invites proposals addressing camel importance across six broad disciplines: historical, cultural, socio-economic, environmental, and health research.
Historical and Cultural Research
The historical component calls for empirical comparisons of the camel's role across civilisations, ethnographic descriptions of camel-related traditions, and investigations into archiving this heritage. On the cultural front, researchers and authors are invited to undertake critical and literary studies examining how camels appear in Arabic and Saudi texts, children's literature, and the arts — including visual art, film, engraving, and sculpture.
Social and Economic Dimensions
The social strand focuses on the camel's meaning within Arab and Islamic communities — encompassing the value of camel ownership, associated cultural practices, and how national and international camel events drive cultural change.
The economic strand examines camel exports and the commercial use of camel-derived products. Researchers can evaluate the application of camel wool and leather in fashion and furniture, assess the profitability of camel festivals and related institutions, and compare the economic viability of camel production.
Environmental and Health Research
Environmental proposals are encouraged to study sustainable pasturage for camels, assess carbon dioxide emissions linked to camel husbandry, and evaluate the camel's ecological role in sustaining arid-zone ecosystems.
Under the health category, researchers can explore the use of camel products in medicine, examine camel meat quality and storage, and contribute to the genetic mapping of camel breeds.
Timed to the Year of the Camel
The Saudi Culture Ministry camel studies grant was announced as the United Nations declared 2024 the International Year of Camelids — with the slogan "Heroes of the deserts and highlands: nourishing people and culture." Saudi Arabia simultaneously declared 2024 its own Year of the Camel, recognising the animal as a national symbol deeply woven into the Kingdom's heritage, livelihood, and identity.
