Camels with passports, yes, it’s true: Mansour AlmushaitiDeputy Minister of the Environment, Water Resources and Agriculture, launched the Passport for Camels, with the aim of regulating the sector of these symbolic animals of the desert.
The project was created in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and, as reported on the Saudi ministry’s website, aims to regulate the sector, improve the efficiency of services and increase its credibility on both local and international markets. The tool, in particular, will serve as an official and accredited identification document, linking each animal to verified health and regulatory data.
The system is designed to document information about camels, their ownership and their breeds.
This step aims to improve service, increase transaction reliability and strengthen veterinary and regulatory responses
The passport includes the camel’s microchip number, passport number, name, date of birth, breed, sex, colour, place of birth and the authority that issued the passport, with photographs of the animal from both the right and left sides. Like a real passport.
The identity document also contains a detailed vaccination record, where veterinary vaccinations are clearly documented, helping to create a reliable health record for each camel and support efforts to monitor infectious diseases and enable a rapid response.
The ministry added that the camel passport will help regulate the market by formalizing sales, logistics and legal documentation. This is expected to protect owners’ rights, facilitate proof of ownership and promote greater transparency and trust across the sector.
It is also expected to improve production and reproductive efficiency through genetic analysis, monitoring breed performance and supporting breeding programs aimed at improving local breeds.
We remember that camels, like many animals unfortunately, have always been exploited, even for “entertainment”: among the experiences offered to tourists in many parts of the world, camel rides, dolphin shows and elephant rides are just some examples of how animals are used for human entertainment, often without anyone stopping to reflect on their living conditions and well-being.
A question, therefore, arises spontaneously: will the passport also serve to protect animals? For posterity the arduous sentence
