Watch: Cloned Descendants Of Legendary UAE Camel Wow Crowds At ADIHEX

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

The legacy of Mabrokan, one of the most celebrated beauty camels in the UAE, continues to live on through science, as his cloned descendants took centre stage this week at the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX).

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Mabrokan rose to fame between 2008 and 2010, winning multiple“Best in Show” titles at the Al Dhafra Festival. Renowned for his colossal 1,000 kg frame and distinctive looks, he was sold for $5 million a few years before his death in 2010, making him one of the most valuable camels in history.

A decade later, researchers at the UAE Biotech Research Center (UAEBRC) successfully revived his genetic line using preserved skin tissue. In 2021, eleven calves genetically identical to Mabrokan were born - a scientific breakthrough that secured the continuation of his bloodline.

At ADIHEX, crowds gathered to view some of Mabrokan's clones alongside other white-coloured cloned camels produced at UAEBRC. In total, the centre has facilitated around 400 camel clones since its first procedure in 2020, far exceeding Mabrokan's 11 descendants.

Dr Ghbisha Al Kitbe, veterinarian at UAEBRC, told Khaleej Times,“The first cloning operation was done in 2020. So far, around 400 camels have been cloned. The quality of the cloning we're doing is very different, very precise and very high.” She emphasised that the centre offers cloning as a service, rather than selling camels.“If you have a very unique camel, we do the cloning service for you [for a fee]. These camels do not belong to us, they belong to the owner. The owners brought them here to showcase them so they can be cloned.”

One of Mabrokan's cloned descendants is now valued at about Dh66 million, highlighting the immense cultural and economic stakes tied to the preservation of elite bloodlines.

From screen to science

Mabrokan's story was also told in the Netflix documentary King of Clones, which featured Dr Alex Tinson, Director of Research at the Presidential Camel Center. He recalled,“Mabrokan was the first camel to get a 10 out of 10 score at a beauty contest. He was big and strong, had giant teeth like a lion, he was quite grumpy, and he was a logistical nightmare because of his size and value.”

Dr Tinson added that when Mabrokan died, he asked that his tissues be preserved. It was those preserved tissues that later enabled UAEBRC scientists to bring him back through cloning.

'A sense of awe'

Dr Woo Suk Hwang, CEO of UAEBRC, who introduced cloning technology to the centre, described the experience of watching cloned camels being born.“Every time I see such a creature, I feel the greatness of science and technology, a sense of awe of how much it can contribute to humanity,” he said in King of Clones. He also addressed critics who consider cloning an act of“playing God.”

“Cloning is not that kind of technology. What cloning does is copy genetically. Such imaginative tales about genetic cloning have already been disproved by history; decades have passed already, has a Frankenstein ever been born?”

Watch a video explaining the cloning process here:

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