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Kiki Streitberger

Photographer

Kiki Streitberger

Camel Beauty Queens

Long legs, an elegant neck, pert ears, expressive eyes framed by upward curled eyelashes, droopy lips, and, of course, a shapely hump – this is how camel beauty queens look – and Al Dhafra is the place where they hang out. Thousands of hopefuls from all over the Middle East come here to compete for prestigious titles and huge sums of prize money at camel beauty pageants. For several weeks a year, the area is the centre of the camel universe with Bedouin families setting up camp between the dunes and market traders selling everything from camel jewellery to sweet Karak chai. And as the sun sets, the desert begins to sparkle as the celebrations for the winning camels continue until late into the night.

Kiki Streitberger

Kiki Streitberger is a freelance photographer based in London and in Germany. Her work explores the line between art and documentary photography, telling stories of cultural and social relevance through the eyes of the individual. She uses photography as a way to engage with the world around her and is particularly interested in the human element in a story … in the uniting factor.