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Dubai's crown prince Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum buys a camel for $2.7 million during a desert festival which included a camel beauty contest.

Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the son of Dubai's ruler, Sheik Mohammed, bought 16 camels for $4.5 million, including one female camel for $2.7 million, the state news agency WAM reported. The agency called the price tag "unprecedented" but it was not clear if it was an official record. There was no indication what Hamdan, Dubai's heir apparent, planned to do with the animal though female camels are often used for racing. Owning fine camels is also a mark of prestige for the ruling elite in the Persian Gulf.

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