Female business owner's accessories add charm to camels at King Abdul Aziz camel festival

Riyadh: In a first for the conservative kingdom, female camel owners last week had the chance to parade their camels in a beauty pageant for the prized "ships of the desert".

The top five in the field of about 40 participants in the women's event went home with total prize money of one million riyals (about $260,000).

However, they weren't the only women to play a prominent role at the annual King Abdulaziz Camel Festival in Saudi Arabia. As per a report by The Arab News, others contributed by providing impressive accessories that helped the camels catch the eyes of the judges.

Noura Al-Ghannam, a female business owner adds to the list of those women by providing customized camel capes, covers, necklaces and other accessories at the festival.

Considering how the traditional capes for camels were very plain and simple and lacked style, Noura Al Ghanam decided to brighten them up with the addition of colorful embroidery and by offering a variety of fabrics.

The name of her business, Safayef, refers to the decoration made from woollen threads that appears on the camel accessories.

Al Ghannam stated the importance of requiring different fabrics for camel capes that are suitable for winter and summer, and how some are only suitable for formal occasions,"

In a bid to ensure a perfect fit, Safayef's each colorful, embroidered cape is customized and meticulously stitched as per the precise measurement of the camel.

She further added that sewing has been one of her passions since a very young age.

"I loved embroidering and adding accessories on fabrics, and while most designers tend to design traditional clothes, I wanted to differ from them and decorate camels, as I have an interest in them," she told Arab News.

About the challenges faced in setting up her business, Al Ghannam said was the bespoke nature of the accessories she provides, which require precise measurements to ensure they perfectly fit the camel they are made for.

"One of the reasons why we don't have a retail store is because these clothes are specially tailored and customized for one camel at a time," Al-Ghannam said.

"When we get an order we have to take the measurements of the camel so it can fit the clothes perfectly.

Initially, Al-Ghannam faced another biggest challenge of taking the measurements for a camel which she said they overcame after a year of working with camels.

Al-Ghannam said that she wants to expand her business to all Gulf countries and aspires to it becoming the leading specialist brand for camel accessories.

Her clients include camel owners and the organizers of camel festivals, and she revealed that she also receives many requests for horse accessories.

Al-Ghannam further added how she was welcomed by Kingdom's Camel Club with open arms when she started the business and this year she participated in the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival for the first time by providing flags, necklaces, scarves and embroidered covers.