Hign Al Khaleej: The App Bringing Camel Trading to Your Phone

Buying a camel in the Gulf has traditionally meant visiting livestock markets, travelling to remote breeding farms and negotiating directly with owners. A startup in the United Arab Emirates is trying to change that by bringing the business to smartphones, creating a digital marketplace where customers can browse camels for sale, explore their backgrounds and connect with sellers across several Gulf countries.

The platform, Hign Al Khaleej, was launched in late 2024 by Emirati entrepreneur Jaber Al Ahbabi. Its name translates approximately to “Camels of the Gulf”, reflecting its focus on an industry deeply connected to the region’s heritage. By 2025, the company had attracted more than 15,000 users across its website and mobile application, according to figures Al Ahbabi shared with CNN.

The marketplace currently lists approximately 3,300 camels for sale across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait. The company says around 3,000 camels have already been sold through the platform, suggesting that digital tools are beginning to find a place in a market where personal relationships, physical inspections and traditional auctions have long been central to transactions.

For buyers, the app offers a way to explore available animals without first travelling between distant farms and markets. Listings include photographs and videos, alongside information such as age, lineage and medical history. Users can contact sellers directly, while the platform also supports auctions and other services connected to camel ownership. The aim is to make it easier for buyers to compare options before committing time and money to an in-person inspection.

The platform also requires users to provide a phone number and government-issued identification, offering a basic level of identity verification. That may help buyers and sellers establish who they are dealing with, although it does not independently guarantee an animal’s health, pedigree or ownership. As with other online marketplaces, users still need appropriate checks before completing a transaction.

Hign Al Khaleej is not limited to buying and selling animals. The platform also offers camel feed and medicines, alongside job listings for people seeking work as trainers and herders. By bringing several parts of the camel economy together, the company hopes to become a wider digital service for breeders, owners, traders and enthusiasts rather than simply an online classified-advertising site.

Why the camel trade is worth digitising

Camels remain economically and culturally significant across the Gulf. Although historically used for transport and as sources of milk, meat, leather and wool, they are now also valuable assets in breeding, racing and beauty competitions. Some animals command high prices because of their bloodlines, physical characteristics and racing potential.

A 2025 camel auction at the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition generated AED 1.77 million in sales from a selection of purebred Arabian racing camels. The event’s organisers highlighted the importance of pedigree information in determining an animal’s value, illustrating why reliable records and access to buyers matter in this specialised market.

For traders, the traditional process can be expensive and time-consuming. Sellers may transport animals over long distances without knowing whether a buyer will complete the purchase, while buyers can travel to another emirate or country only to discover that an animal does not meet their requirements. Digital listings cannot replace every part of an inspection, but they can help narrow the search and make initial negotiations more efficient.

Al Ahbabi grew up in a family involved in raising racing camels, giving him personal familiarity with the industry he is trying to modernise. His business is built around the idea that a market with strong cultural roots can still benefit from technology without abandoning its established practices.

The startup has also begun attracting support from the UAE’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. In May 2026, Hign Al Khaleej was among 17 Al Ain companies selected for a development programme associated with Hub71 and the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development. It placed third at a programme demo day in July, receiving AED 40,000 in support through services and infrastructure, according to CNN’s reporting.

That backing could help the business improve its technology, expand its user base and develop additional services. However, its long-term success will depend on more than downloads or the number of animals listed. The platform must maintain credible listings, build trust between buyers and sellers and ensure that online discovery leads to successful transactions.

There are also practical limits to what an app can accomplish. A photograph cannot fully establish an animal’s health or suitability for racing, and a digital record is only as reliable as the information supplied. Buyers may still need veterinary examinations, physical inspections and checks on ownership and transport requirements before a sale is completed. These safeguards are especially important when animals are traded across borders.

Hign Al Khaleej nevertheless illustrates a broader shift in how traditional industries are approaching digital commerce. Technology businesses often focus on fashionable sectors such as artificial intelligence, finance or online retail, but opportunities can also emerge in specialised markets that remain dependent on physical visits, personal contacts and fragmented information.

The wider significance is not simply that someone can now search for a camel on a phone. It is that digital marketplaces can make established industries easier to navigate by bringing listings, seller contact, auctions and related services into one place. If Hign Al Khaleej continues to build trust and attract active traders, it could demonstrate how technology can modernise a distinctive part of Gulf commerce while preserving the cultural traditions that give the market its value.