According to its director, the Dubai Camel Hospital is the first of its kind in the world.
ADVERTISEMENTA new hospital in Dubai is entirely dedicated to treating camels.
The Dubai Camel Hospital opened last week and cost 40 million dirhams ($10.9 million). According to its director, Mohamed Al Bulooshi, the facility is the first of its kind in the world.
“We found that we must care for camels not only by breeding and raising them, but also by being able to medically treat them,” Bulooshi said.
The hospital can treat up to 20 camels at once and is equipped with a mock race track for the animals to run their way to recovery after certain medical procedures.
The equipment is mostly customized, being adapted from equestrian medical tools and machines to better suit camel treatment.
The hospital intends to help in the research and development of camel medicine, in an effort “to unfold the secrets of this strange desert animal,” according to Ahsan Ul Haq, the facility’s head of marketing and finance.
Camels remain an important part of the Gulf Arab state’s heritage. Camel races and camel beauty pageants are a favorite recreation for locals, and some beasts fetch millions of dollars at auctions in the country.