Saudi Arabia’s Al Haboob Camel Racing Team (الهَبُوب), the sport’s first professional race outfit, has announced a landmark partnership with Independent Insurance Brokers (IIB) as it ramps up its mission to haul the traditional Gulf sport into the modern professional sports era and transform the ancient sport into something akin to Formula 1.
Al Haboob Camel Racing Team, with the help of global ambassador Paul Pogba, has been expanding its presence and profile across the Gulf in recent years. This latest partnership will see IIB become inaugural lead partner and its branding feature prominently across all Al Haboob apparel, including team shirts and camel saddle cloths.
On the decision to align one of the region’s oldest sporting traditions with one of the Kingdom’s most-established insurance brokerages, IIB Chairman Abdulhady Taher said he is proud to be associated with a team determined to build the sport’s first globally recognised racing organisation.
“Camel racing is one of the authentic sports that we take great pride in, and I am delighted to support a pioneering team helping elevate this sport and strengthen its presence across our beloved Kingdom,” said Taher. “This support reflects our belief in the importance of empowering sporting and cultural initiatives that celebrate our national identity.”
Al Haboob’s co-founders, Safwan Modir and Omar Almaeena, welcomed the partnership as a key step in the team’s development. “This partnership is an important milestone for how we present this sport to the world,” said Almaeena. “From day one, we’ve wanted Al Haboob to look and feel like a major sporting organisation. IIB joining us as our first official partner is a strong signal that others see that ambition, too.”
Modir added: “We’ve focused on building the right foundations from the beginning, both on and off the track. Partnerships like this allow us to continue investing in every aspect of the team as we work towards setting new standards for camel racing. We’re proud to welcome IIB into the Al Haboob family and look forward to building a successful long-term relationship together.”
The collaboration represents another step forward in the race to professionalise a sport with roots that date back thousands of years. The involvement of Pogba, a World Cup-winning French footballer who visits the Kingdom regularly for business, pleasure, and religion, has prompted an influx of international attention on camel racing.
“What attracted me to Al Haboob from the start was the vision,” said Pogba, who became a shareholder in the outfit in December 2025. “We’re not just building a racing team, but something bigger for the future of the sport – and for entertainment more broadly. When established companies such as IIB come on board, it shows other people recognise that vision, too. This is another important step in the journey and I’m excited to see what we can achieve together.”
The partnership follows a period of significant on-track growth for Al Haboob, including a first-place finish in April at His Highness the Amir’s Sword Arabian Camel Racing Festival in Qatar. The team now looks ahead to the eighth Crown Prince Camel Festival in Saudi Arabia, which takes place in Taif from September 3 to 13. The world’s largest camel racing event, the event is set to feature 248 races and offers a prize purse of more than SAR 50 million (US$13.3m).
