Goat fanciers admire a beautiful Al-Shami goat at the festival. (AN photo by Khaled Al-Khamees)

RIYADH, 19 September 2004 — Goat fanciers turned out in force to admire and bid for beautiful goats showing off on the catwalk at a weekend festival and auction of Al-Shami goats in Riyadh.

They came from all over the Gulf. Abdullah Al-Asaker, from Kuwait, said the Al-Shami breed of goat was introduced to Kuwait from Saudi Arabia. He estimated the investment in Al-Shami goat breed at more than SR20 million.

As prices kept rising at the auction, goat breeders were jubilant that goat breeding after all was as profitable as camel breeding.

Thirty goats were selected according to age and gender. Abdul Aziz Al-Khalaf, one of the five judges for the “Most Beautiful Goat” competition, explained that the winners are chosen on the basis of a combination of factors and overall appearance, not simply by their color. Particular points taken into consideration are the head, nose, mouth, ears, breast and eyes. The most important factor is the size of the head and the whiteness of the eye.

Muhammad Al-Kebaisi, from Qatar, said he is an Al-Shami fancier. He said goat fancying is increasing in Qatar, but because Saudi Arabia has banned the export of fodder to Qatar, the hobby has been seriously affected.

Saad Al-Jabr said they need a space designated for exhibition and auction of their goats that is equipped like the ones in Kuwait. “This gathering provided a perfect chance to look at the latest developments in the hobby,” he said.

The main problem breeders face is that they cannot transport their goats to other countries to participate in auctions or buy any Al-Shami goats from other countries to transport to Kuwait.

Dr. Khaled Al-Ahmad, the head of the livestock department, said he was amazed at how well the festival was organized.

Referring to the banning of international transport of livestock, he said the movement is subject to quarantine procedures to preserve livestock and to prevent viruses from spreading.