20 camels disqualified in oman beauty contest over botox and cosmetic enhancements
What was meant to be a celebration of tradition and prized pedigree turned controversial at the 2026 Camel Beauty Show Festival in Al Musanaa, Oman, after twenty camels were disqualified for cosmetic enhancements.
Veterinary inspectors discovered that several contestants had been altered with substances more commonly associated with cosmetic clinics than desert showgrounds. Hyaluronic acid injections were reportedly used to plump lips. Dermal fillers and silicone were applied to refine nasal profiles. Botox softened facial features.
Some camels were even given hormones to enhance muscle tone, while silicone wax was used to inflate humps. Organisers, operating under the Camel Club and the Oman Camel Racing Federation, issued a firm response. “We are keen to halt all acts of tampering and deception in the beautification of camels,” they stated, adding that “strict penalties on manipulators” would follow.
Camel beauty contests in Oman are serious cultural events, not novelty spectacles. Judges evaluate animals in four main categories: coat, neck, head, and hump. A winning camel is expected to have shiny, well-defined hair, a long and wide neck, a large head with pendulous lips and long eyelashes, and a shapely hump carried with strong posture. Victory brings prestige, breeding opportunities, and, in some cases, substantial financial rewards.
This is not the first scandal of its kind in the Gulf region. In 2018, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Camel Festival disqualified a dozen camels for cosmetic tampering. In 2021, more than forty were ejected from the same competition over similar allegations. With prize pools that can exceed tens of millions of dollars, the temptation to enhance prize-winning animals has proven difficult to resist, according to Forbes.
Beyond tradition and prestige, the controversy raises serious concerns about animal welfare. Veterinary experts warn that cosmetic substances such as Botox, fillers, silicone and hormones can cause infections, swelling, tissue damage and long-term health complications. Botox may interfere with essential muscle function, affecting eating and drinking.
Hormonal injections can disrupt natural physiology, leading to infertility, behavioural changes and endocrine problems. Animal welfare advocates argue that these procedures subject camels to unnecessary suffering for the sake of competitive advantage.
As the camel beauty industry continues to grow across the Gulf, regulators are under increasing pressure to protect both the integrity of competitions and the well-being of the animals. For now, the message from Oman’s organisers is clear: in the desert’s most prestigious pageants, natural beauty remains the only standard.
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