Backstory: Rein of the robo-jockey

In the Middle East, camel racing is enjoying a renaissance now that the rich can 'ride' by remote control.

from the February 20, 2007 edition

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It seemed like the golden days of camel racing were gone forever.

And then technology saved the day.

It was 2002, and engineer Elmutaz Bin Hamza, together with his friends at the Qatar Science Club, was tinkering around with used car remotes, battery packs, fiberglass, and cordless drills and dreaming of a better future for camel racing. Working with the encouragement of the emir and the backing of the newly formed National Robotic Jockey Committee – the team soon built the very first robotic camel-jockey prototype.

The original robot was heavy, fell off the camel's hump, melted in the 122 degree F. heat, and, significantly, could not differentiate signals from one remote to another – a big minus that led to camel collisions and general bedlam at the race track.

"There were some kinks that needed ironing out," admits Mr. Hamza, today the assistant manager of the Raqbi Center which manufactures the robots. But once the prototype was done, a Swiss robotics company – K-team SA – was brought on board to help, and in 2004, a new robot mounted up. Neighboring Gulf countries took similar steps, and advances in technology have created one improved robotic camel jockey after another.

The latest version, launched this year, weighs less than seven pounds, is less than a foot tall and is capable of whipping the camel at varying speeds and pressures, and in different positions. The robots have speakers embedded in them so that trainers can give direction to the animals. "As long as they feel they're getting attention, they're content," says Hamza.

Races today – typically six miles long – feature parallel tracks. The camels – with robots dressed up in colorful cotton jerseys and jockey caps strapped on – run on the inside racetrack. And the sheikhs, owners, and trainers – piled into four-wheel drive vehicles – follow the races on an outside, paved lane, screeching instructions into the remote controls and pressing the "whip on behind" button like there was no tomorrow.

With the revival of the sport, camel prices are climbing. Al-Thani bought a beauty of a runner last month for $400,000. Another sheikh reportedly put down $1.5 million recently. The September to May season here in Al Shahaniyya, an hour outside Doha has so far been packed with spectators. And camel-racing publication subscriptions are up.

"Two years ago, we thought it was all over. Prices were way down to $2,000 a camel and people said robots would never catch on ... but it's been a major hit," says al-Thani.

"It turns out [to be] cheaper to use a robot than a kid," continues the sheikh, calculating that by the time the boys were fed and clothed, and their fathers paid off, these child jockeys were costing far more than the approximately $1,000 a month it costs to maintain a robot.

"Also," he adds, "when a robot falls from a camel you just throw it out, you don't have to deal with the headache or with any fathers."

Suleiman Abdullah Hamed came to Qatar as a child at age 4 and grew up racing. "We had fun on the camels," he says. "Sometimes we complained because they starved us. But let's not discuss that now," he suggests.

A lanky teenager today, he has become a trainer at the race tracks and a robotics enthusiast.

"The first robots were altogether ridiculous, and we would fall over laughing," he says. "But now, it's better. The robots can hit harder, and no kids fall down and get stepped on. Wonderful."

"God is amazing," he concludes and gives a nearby camel a friendly smack. "Wonderful."

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