The camel has been an integral part of life in the Arabian peninsula, and elsewhere, for thousands of years, but their potential is yet to be fully realised, says Dr Abdul Raziq Kakar.

The technical manager for Al Ain Dairy’s camel farm, he has launched Camel4Life, a group to promote the use of camels by the world’s poorer communities, and to give traditional producers an international voice.

“Camels ensure life and livelihood in far and wide regions of the world,” Dr Kakar said. “They ensure access and transportation in harsh terrains of the globe and walk for almost 40 kilometres [a day], graze on scarce and scattered woody vegetation, which is otherwise wasted, and convert it to precious food items like milk and meat.”

Dr Kakar, who is also founder of the Camel Association of Pakistan,credited camel milk with relieving his arthritis more than a decade ago, when…