CAMEL cloning remains a flourishing business in Dubai 14 years after the city claimed of producing the first cloned camel in the world.
On April 8, 2009, Dr. Nisar Wani, a researcher at the Camel Reproduction Center proudly announced that the world’s first cloned camel was successfully born in Dubai.
The newborn camel was named Injaz which means “achievement” in Arabic.
The female one-humped camel however died in January 2020 while pregnant with her fourth calf.
The birth of Injaz was considered a significant breakthrough in the UAE‘s research program that will help in preserving the valuable genetics of the country’s elite racing and milk-producing camels in the future.
Each year, the Reproductive Biotechnology Center in Dubai produces dozens of cloned dromedary camel calves for their rich clients used for breeding, racing, and competing in beauty pageants to win thousands of dollars in prize money.
The camels are also used for producing milk or simply as pets.
Although the Dubai-based reproduction center refused to divulge the price, local media reports previously stated that the service could cost a client around 200,000 dirhams, or a little over $54,000, per cloned camel.
Although critics have raised ethical concerns regarding cloning, Nisar Ahmad Wani and his team insisted that their work is entirely ethical while the welfare of their animals is their top priority.
