Dubai: German national Linda Kröckenberger began her relationship with camels, when she was searching for an activity to spend time away from her work. But she ended up leaving her career in the corporate sector and replacing offices with the Dubai desert, after a 12-day journey on camelback changed her view of her life and professional future. It later led her to establish a centre for teaching camel riding and handling - one that grew during the following years from four to 22 camels, with its activity roster no longer limited to teaching camel riding, but extending to races, camel ownership, school programmes and desert trips.Kröckenberger worked in revenue management and progressed professionally to the position of head of the revenue department in a private company, before her desire to find an activity to do in her free time led her to a camel riding training programme affiliated with the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre.A window into Arab heritageShe did not know when she applied to the programme that the experience would end with a change in her career path. She was chosen on the first try to participate in an annual trip that lasted 12 days, starting from the Empty Quarter in Abu Dhabi, and ending at Global Village in Dubai.Her initial goal was to get closer to and learn about Arab heritage through camels, but the days she spent in the desert created a different relationship between her and this heritage.Kröckenberger said that her relationship with camels was not just an experience that began with a trip in the desert, but rather a hobby that she sought to fill her free time that led her to leave a career path and choose a life that was linked to camels and the Emirati heritage that she initially came to discover.She confirmed that the experience had a great impact on her, considering that camels have the ability to interact with human feelings and emotional struggles. She noted that they “reflect your inner personality” and respond to the emotional state of their rider, while giving them, according to her experience, a feeling of peace, love and harmony.Kröckenberger went on to establish a centre for teaching camel riding and handling. Picture credit: SuppliedIn January 2021, Kröckenberger took her passion to a new level, and with a partner, founded the Arabian Desert Camel Riding Centre in the Al Lisaili area on the Dubai-Al Ain road, to provide training in camel riding and handling, combining traditional camel riding methods with modern techniques, while introducing aspects related to animal care, education and Arabian hospitality.The project started with four camels, and the number rose to more than 14 camels during the first years, however, Kröckenberger revealed that the Center currently has 22 camels, in a development that reflects the expansion of its activity since its launch. The Centre is no longer related to increasing the number of camels only, as some of the participants who entered the experience through the door of learning to ride, have begun to move to another stage of attachment: owning their own camels.The Center currently houses the camels of four owners, and the Center provides them with the care, training and infrastructure necessary, enabling the owners to continue their activities and stay connected to their camels without having to operate private farms.Kröckenberger believes that the transition of people from learning to ride camels to owning them is an indication of the formation of a community around recreational camel riding and its sport, while more experienced people are taking on greater responsibilities and participating in camel training programmes, through which they race.Learning to ride camels at the Centre is not limited to a specific category, as it welcomes men and women. Training for participation in camel races is dedicated to women, with the aim of equipping them with the necessary skills and encouraging them to experience a sporting activity dominated by men.Competitions and expansionsThe Centre’s activities extend to camel racing, as the ‘One Camel Championship’ evolved from a single race at its inception to a broader event, encompassing four categories of competition, including women, men, youth, and teams.The introduction of team competitions was one of the new developments in the championship, as individuals and companies could now sponsor participating teams, thus opening up a wider field for contributing to camel racing and supporting its development.Kröckenberger said the Centre is preparing to organise five events during the 2026-2027 season, and has partnered with 555 Live Experiences to develop the audience experience and events accompanying the races, which will contribute to bringing camel racing closer to families, sponsors and the public who are getting to know it for the first time.She added that the educational aspect has become a larger part of the Centre’s activity, with the expansion of programmes directed to schools. Some of them can be integrated into the school curriculum, as they deal with camel care and welfare, Emirati heritage and culture, the desert environment, and the relationship between humans and camels, through a practical experience that allows children to get to know them up close.She noted that the expansion included developing a larger space for workshops and school programs, expected to be completed within four weeks, in addition to improving camel enclosures and renovating guest reception areas to serve riders, visitors, schools and groups.Kröckenberger noted that the Centre expanded its experience beyond training sessions by launching multi-day trips in the deserts of the Western Region during December and January, in addition to a structured 10-week camel riding instruction programme that includes accompanying educational materials. She described it as the first of its kind.She emphasised that the project is no longer limited to teaching camel riding, as it now allows participants to move from learning, trips and educational programmes to participating in races, owning camels and sponsoring racing teams, thus opening the door for people from different backgrounds to become directly involved with a historic aspect of Emirati life, heritage and sports.
