DUBAI: Welcoming songs by troupes, offering of traditional Qahwa and dates by young girls and kisses on foreheads by adult relatives were some of the scenes witnessed by the group of 15 expatriate camel trekkers on the conclusion of their over 500-km long journey at the Global Village on Saturday evening.

The fourth edition of ‘camel trek’ expedition including celebrities like Fernando De Martini, Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to the UAE, was organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammad Heritage Centre (HHC) to provide an insight peek on traditional camel trekkers in the desert. The 11-day journey, on the back of camels to experience life in desert, started from Empty Quarters, Abu Dhabi on Jan 17 – with 15 participants from 9 countries including six women – and terminated at HHC Heritage Village in Global Village.

Talking to the media Fernando De Martini, said that he had no prior experience of camel riding in the desert but it was one of the most exciting time of his life to have witnessed the desert in a new light. “The journey indeed required endurance, passion and skills to overcome the new challenges while at the same time be part of the traditional route on camels,” he said.

Anne Laure Laine, a Dubai expat for over 6 years was a third timer with HHC to experience “camel trek.” “I have been learning a lot since my first experience four years ago to meet a lot of locals on the way while be part of their lives in the desert. I think expatriates should join these traditional treks to experience local Emirati culture and see by themselves the traditions and values on which the UAE stands,” she told The Gulf Today.

Abdullah Hamdan Bin Dalmook, CEO of HHC, said, “This is the longest version of our annual ‘Camel Trek’. There were many challenges, but we were able to follow the map of the trek that was prepared after embarking on pre-exploratory excursions to chart our route. We must face difficulties to revive a culture that benefits the participants who wanted to experience life in the past. For the first time, we travelled more than 63 kilometers on the camel’s back in one day. This distance is a record because today it is not easy to achieve.”

“This is a rare experience that enhances the nature of belonging and adds a culture of recognition and coexistence with other nationalities. We look forward to opening the doors to a larger number of citizens in the future to benefit from this meaningful experience and we hope that other specialised institutions in the revival of heritage will organise such cultural treks’” he added.

Hind Bin Demaithan Al Qemzi, Director of Events at HHC, welcomed the participants in this annual journey which has become popular and thanked all the participants whom she considered to be partners in the march that promotes national identity and contributes to the dissemination of UAE heritage.

Abdullah Malek, a 21-year-old medical student, said “it was really a great experience” after taking part in the “Camel Trek” for the first time.