The Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, has launched a Camel Studies Grant to advance research around the historical, cultural, social, economic and environmental significance of camels.
The announcement of the grant follows Saudi Arabia’s designation of 2024 as “The Year of the Camel”, as well as the United Nations General Assembly’s announcement of the International Year of Camelids. Camels hold great cultural and historical importance in Saudi society, appearing in many different art forms, as well as playing a crucial role in various cultural practices, such as providing companionship, camel racing, or the Mazayen Al-Ibl Festival (a beauty pageant for camels). The Camel Studies Grant is an initiative of the Ministry of Culture to celebrate the camel as an icon of Saudi culture and educate the public on their historical and cultural influence.
Dr. Raed Alsufyani, General Manager of the General Directorate of Research and Culture Studies at the Ministry of Culture, says: “Camels are an important component of Saudi identity, having played a crucial role in the everyday lives of Saudis throughout history and inspiring many poems, tales, and proverbs. The Camel Studies Grant acknowledges the pivotal role camels continue to play across the world and strives to deepen our understanding of these important creatures. Through the grant, the Ministry of Culture encourages research excellence in the field of camel studies and drives the development of new ideas, methodologies and technologies relating to the camel industry.”
The grant will fund 10 research projects and is open to Saudi and international applicants from 6th June until 6th July, 2024. In addition to financial aid, qualified applicants will receive assistance from a designated scientific committee established to help supervise research projects, such as helping applicants to obtain necessary resources or facilitating scientific publishing. The studies will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, as selected by the committee.
The grant is open to proposals on a broad range of research topics and strives to encourage interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary studies that address current social and environmental challenges relating to camels, such as food security and climate change. These research topics can be summarized by the following categories:
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Historical: Historical and ethnographic studies covering a range of topics relating to preserving the cultural heritage of camels. This may include studies into the role of camels in various civilizations around the world, archival research on camel heritage, and the policies, techniques and methodologies required for archiving.
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Cultural: Critical and literary studies on camels in Arabic and Saudi literature and children’s literature, lexicographical studies on camel-related vocabulary, and studies on the representation of camels in various art forms, such as in cinema, engravings, and sculptures.
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Social: The study of camels in Arab and Islamic societies, their local significance, social impact, ownership and related traditions. This may also include the impact of national camel events on local and international communities, such as the role of camel races and the Mazayen Al-Ibl Festival.
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Economic: Studies into the impact of camels and camel products (such as wool and leather) on economies and finding ways to sustain this impact. This includes measuring the economic impact of camels both before and after camel festivals and related events.
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Environmental: Studies into various sustainability issues relating to the camel industry, which may include land use, the carbon footprint associated with camel grazing or breeding, and agricultural practices in arid lands, as well as research supporting solutions to address these challenges.
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Health: Studies relating to camel products and their medical and therapeutic uses. This may include the documentation of camel breeds, genetic mapping and preservation as well as research contributing to the development of camel products.
