Plight of the Camel Jockey

A camel jockey is the rider on a camel, who competes in camel races. Camel racing is a thriving industry in the Gulf States. However, behind the excitement and glamour of the races, the plight of the camel jockey was for a long time sadly ignored.

Small children, many as young as 4 or 5 years old - and there were reportedly even cases involving infants of merely several months - were brought, or bought, from the poorer countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sudan to work as child camel jockeys. It is rightly condemned as a form of child trafficking. Poverty stricken parents in those countries would sell off their young kids to work in the Gulf States.

The child was then trained to be a camel jockey. To keep him in "good" shape as a camel jockey, the child was often starved so as to keep his weight down. It has been reported that some were only fed two biscuits or some bread and water each day, and made to work 18 hours a day. Those who still managed togain a few unwanted pounds would be made to under with weights on their back. These children were kept as virtual prisoners in desert camps, known as ousbahs, barricaded and barb-wire fenced, living with the camels and under the watchful eye of their trainers.

There have also been reports of sexual abuse.

As they took part in the races, they frequently sustained injuries, sometimes serious injuries to their neck and arms. Some got trampled after falling off their camels. Some died from their injuries.

The result of their treatment is that these children become stunted in their growth both physically and mentally.

Over the years, the plight of these children has from time to time been publicised, and promises have been made by the authorities to stop this type of trafficking and child abuse.

A few years ago Ansar Burney, a Pakistani human rights activist and lawyer, used hidden cameras to make a documentary on child camel jockeys, which was aired in the US in 2004. He has also helped to shelter rescued children in safe houses. Burney's long-term efforts and his documentary prompted a response from the authorities. In March 2005 the UAE issued federal legislation in effect re-stating the ban on the use of camel jockeys under 16 years of age or less than seven stone (45 kg) in weight.

The effectiveness of such bans was met with some skepticism. The UAE had first imposed a ban in 1993, and a similar ban had already been in place since 2002. A more determined effort was made in May 2005 when the UAE signed an agreement with UNICEF to help repatriate and rehabilitate child jockeys.

Qatar also banned the use of child jockeys in 2005, and so did Oman, Kuwait.

Measures were taken, in addition to the announced bans and legislation, to eliminate the use of child jockeys completely. Robotic jockeys were designed to take their place. Qatar had begun to develop such robots since 2001, and held the first official race using robots as jockeys in 2005. UAE also started using robots instead of children. This practice has also gained wide acceptance in the other Gulf States.

It is feared that the use of child camel jockeys has gone underground, and is still practised in unofficial races in private venues. Some camel owners remarked with disappointment about the switch to robots that they are just whipping machines. 

The UAE has started paying compensation to over 900 youths from Bangladesh who used to work as camel jockeys in that country. The amounts to be paid range from $1,000 to $10,000. One of those young men recalled the suffering he had endured and said that no amount of money could erase those painful memories.