Paul Pogba invests in Saudi-based camel racing team

Saudi-based Al Haboob, the world’s first professional UAE and GCC camel racing team, has unveiled a landmark partnership with global football icon Paul Pogba, marking a historic moment for the sport.

The World Cup winner joins the team as both ambassador and shareholder — the first professional footballer in history to hold ownership in a camel racing team — bringing unprecedented international visibility to a centuries-old tradition.

The move forms part of Al Haboob’s long-term vision to establish the world’s first professionally governed Camel Racing League.

World Cup winner Pogba, currently with AS Monaco, said: “I am incredibly excited to be joining forces with Al Haboob. From the moment I spoke with Omar and Safwan, I felt their passion, vision, and genuine love for this sport.

“Their ambition to elevate camel racing onto a global stage is something I truly connect with. Throughout my career, I’ve been blessed with many opportunities and proposals, but this one felt different. It spoke to me on a deeper level: to culture, to legacy, to storytelling.”

Paul Pogba invests in camel-racing team

He added that the partnership resonated with his desire to support initiatives that create impact beyond sport: “I want to be part of a project that goes beyond sport, one that brings people together and shines a light on traditions that deserve to be celebrated.

“Joining Al Haboob felt like being invited into a new family, and saying yes was an easy decision. I’ve always been someone who wants to try new things and do things differently…Al Haboob represents exactly that: something fresh, something meaningful, and something exciting while staying true to who I am.”

Founded in Saudi Arabia by entrepreneurs Omar Almaeena and Safwan Modir, Al Haboob blends cultural heritage with elite performance, advanced veterinary and training practices, and cinematic storytelling.

The duo co-created and starred in the Netflix series Camel Quest, which brought global attention to camel racing and chronicled their ambition to compete in major regional festivals.

Omar Almaeena said: “Paul’s involvement is transformational. His influence, leadership, and passion for cultural storytelling reflect exactly what Al Haboob stands for. This partnership is about more than racing; it is about sharing a heritage that deserves global recognition.”

Safwan Modir added that Pogba’s reach would accelerate the sport’s globalisation: “With Paul joining us, we are taking this movement to a global stage and shaping the future of camel racing. At Al Haboob, we do not merely represent a racing team, we represent the ambition of a nation, the belief of a people, and a genuine determination for Saudis to be number one across every field of life, from sport and business to culture and innovation.”

Emerging sport

Al Haboob’s camels are trained to world-class standards under the supervision of Dr. Margreet Voermans, a dual-certified specialist in Equine Surgery and Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Training is led by Abo Khattab — Hamed Salem Al-Jadaili Al-Wahaibi — one of the Gulf’s most respected camel racing coaches. The team uses advanced robot jockeys equipped with GPS tracking, heart-rate monitoring and two-way communication systems to enhance safety and optimise performance.

The partnership with Pogba accelerates Al Haboob’s ambition to globalise one of the Kingdom’s oldest sports, laying the groundwork for the world’s first Camel Racing League and demonstrating how tradition, innovation and international star power can converge to redefine a cultural institution.