Gulf States Collaborate to Enhance Camel Travel Standards

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) recently convened a significant regional workshop dedicated to simplifying the temporary movement of camels across Gulf borders, all while upholding essential standards for animal health, biosecurity, and welfare.

Organized in partnership with the Camel Middle East Network (CAMENET), the UAE Camel Racing Federation, and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), this initiative is part of broader efforts to update and harmonize the frameworks governing camel involvement in various competitions, festivals, and cultural gatherings throughout the Gulf.

The event attracted senior officials and specialists from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), ADAFSA, CAMENET Steering Committee, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and WOAH, along with representatives from national and international camel racing federations and organizations across the region.

Key initiatives to facilitate camel movement while ensuring health standards were showcased during the workshop. Notable among them was the Smart Gateway initiative, introduced by M42 Environmental Sciences, which proposes a digital platform and tracking system aimed at streamlining processing times, conserving resources, and facilitating accurate, sustainable data sharing among relevant authorities.

Additionally, MOCCAE unveiled the Green Route initiative, proposing a specialized pathway for camels taking part in regional activities. This initiative is designed to expedite procedural tasks and enhance collaboration among various stakeholders for a smoother transit experience. Concurrently, WOAH advocated for unified regional health certificates, aimed at hastening cross-border travel while upholding strict veterinary protocols and biosecurity measures within a standardized framework.

The initiatives received widespread approval from attendees, who acknowledged their significance in bolstering camel sports and cultural events, while simultaneously reinforcing health precautions across the region.

Alongside the workshop, the 8th Technical and Steering Committee Meeting of CAMENET was held during Global Food Week 2025. This meeting focused on reviewing the network’s Five-Year Work Plan (2026–2030), structured around five key pillars: animal welfare, camel diseases and diagnostics, risk assessment, research and studies, and the One Health approach.

Member nations provided comprehensive updates on their camel sectors, discussing herd demographics, challenges in the industry, and opportunities for enhanced cooperation in veterinary health, information exchange, and capacity building.

As the meetings concluded, participants emphasized CAMENET’s crucial role in progressing the camel sector throughout the Middle East, addressing knowledge deficiencies in camel health and husbandry while fortifying regional biosecurity systems.

Asma Abdi Mohamed, Director of Biosecurity Affairs at ADAFSA, emphasized that Abu Dhabi’s hosting of these meetings underscores its status as a regional hub for excellence in animal health and biosecurity. She reiterated ADAFSA’s dedication to translating discussions into actionable programs that enhance veterinary services, improve preparedness against transboundary zoonotic diseases, and support the sustainable development of the camel sector—an indispensable facet of the region’s cultural and economic identity.