Saudi Arabia has announced plans to issue passports for its camel population as part of efforts to better manage and modernise the agricultural sector.
The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture said the initiative is aimed at improving productivity, boosting efficiency and creating a centralised database for camels across the kingdom.
In a post shared on social media on Tuesday, the ministry unveiled an image of the proposed document – a green passport bearing Saudi Arabia’s coat of arms and a gold illustration of a camel.
According to state-backed broadcaster Al Ekhbariya, the passport system will help regulate camel sales and transportation, protect owners’ rights, ensure proper documentation and make ownership verification easier.
Government figures estimate that Saudi Arabia had about 2.2 million camels as of 2024, underlining the scale of the sector the initiative seeks to organise.
Camels hold deep cultural and economic significance in the kingdom, having served for centuries as a primary means of transport and a symbol of prestige, while also supporting a thriving breeding industry.
Saudi Arabia also hosts popular camel beauty contests, though authorities have in recent years intensified efforts to curb cosmetic manipulation of animals, penalising practices such as altering lips or humps to gain an unfair advantage.
