{"id":39525,"date":"2025-12-24T09:39:18","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T09:39:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/?p=39525"},"modified":"2025-12-24T09:51:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T09:51:10","slug":"uae-16-year-old-retraces-fathers-journey-finishes-600km-camel-expedition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/24\/uae-16-year-old-retraces-fathers-journey-finishes-600km-camel-expedition\/","title":{"rendered":"UAE: 16-year-old retraces father\u2019s journey, finishes 600km camel expedition"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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For 16-year-old Sarah Shajahan, the desert represented familiarity rather than fear. This winter, she completed an almost 600-kilometre camel journey across the UAE, retracing a route her father had travelled nearly ten years earlier. What was once a tale she heard growing up eventually became an experience of her own.<\/p>

Sarah was one of the youngest participants in this year\u2019s camel expedition, which brought together dozens of trekkers covering vast stretches of desert. While some riders completed the full 1,000km course, Sarah joined a demanding 600km segment, enduring long hours in the saddle, chilly nights and challenging weather conditions.<\/p>

\u201cI always wanted to take part because my father had done it,\u201d Sarah said. \u201cWhen I felt I was finally old enough, I decided to give it a try.\u201d<\/p>

Her father, Shajahan, completed the same trek nine years ago and said the decision was entirely hers. \u201cI never pressured her,\u201d he explained. \u201cShe found her own motivation. She grew up looking at my trek photos, and whenever I went camel riding, I would take my children along.\u201d<\/p>

Over time, Sarah developed confidence around the animals. \u201cShe was never afraid, and that impressed me the most,\u201d her father added.<\/p>

This year, Sarah independently applied for the trek and successfully cleared the selection process. Preparations began months in advance, with consistent training sessions held at a farm.<\/p>

\u201cI started training in May. The selection trials were in September, and I was chosen on my second attempt,\u201d Sarah said.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Sarah said the journey was both physically demanding and emotionally rewarding, teaching her valuable lessons in patience, resilience and self-belief. She described waking up before sunrise, caring for the camels and travelling long distances each day as experiences that strengthened her connection with nature and tradition. Despite moments of exhaustion, she said the encouragement from fellow trekkers and her family kept her motivated. Completing the trek has given her a deep sense of accomplishment and pride, especially knowing she followed a path once taken by her father. Sarah hopes her experience will inspire other young people to explore cultural traditions and challenge themselves beyond their comfort zones.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Practice, weather, and the long ride ahead<\/strong><\/p>

Throughout the expedition, Sarah travelled on a camel named Ataraiya, an animal she had familiarised herself with before the journey began. \u201cThe organisers assigned the camel to me. About a week before the trek, I trained with her and rode her four times,\u201d Sarah explained.<\/p>

Despite being one of the youngest participants, she said the experience felt less difficult than she had anticipated. \u201cI thought it would be tougher, but it wasn\u2019t. My camel was calm, gentle, and easy to ride,\u201d she said.<\/p>

Nature, however, brought its own tests. As the group approached Dubai, changing weather conditions affected several parts of the UAE, with rain and strong winds hitting the desert.<\/p>

\u201cOne morning there was heavy wind and rain. Our tents and sleeping bags were soaked, but the rain stopped by around 9am. We didn\u2019t ride while it was raining,\u201d Sarah recalled.<\/p>

While many trekkers struggled with damp equipment and restless nights, Sarah remained composed and focused throughout.<\/p>

Beyond the desert journey<\/strong><\/p>

For Sarah\u2019s father, the trek represents far more than a physical challenge. \u201cThis is not simply an activity. Living in the desert for days, caring for animals, and travelling the traditional way is a powerful life lesson,\u201d he said.<\/p>

He described the experience as a chance to disconnect from modern comforts, embrace simplicity, and bond with people from different backgrounds.<\/p>

\u201cYou share the journey with locals and people from many countries. You step into an ancient lifestyle. In many ways, it becomes deeply spiritual,\u201d Shahjahan said.<\/p>

While finishing the trek years ago felt like a major personal milestone for him, he views his daughter\u2019s achievement differently.<\/p>

\u201cFor me, it marked the end of a goal. For her, it\u2019s just the start of something much bigger,\u201d he added.<\/p>

After completing the 600km route, Sarah returned home without much fanfare. Her father noted that she did not immediately share her achievement online. \u201cThat really surprised me. Most teenagers would post right away.\u201d<\/p>

Sarah said the journey has sparked new ambitions. \u201cIt feels like a beginning. I\u2019d really like to try camel racing in the future.\u201d<\/p>

Nearly a decade ago, Sarah stood waiting as her father returned from the desert, listening to his stories and studying his photographs. This time, it was Sarah who came home \u2014 exhausted, fulfilled, and quietly self-assured.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A 16-year-old in the UAE completed a 600-kilometre camel journey inspired by his father, showcasing endurance, tradition and a deep connection to the country\u2019s desert heritage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[34],"post_template":[],"top_category":[],"class_list":["post-39525","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uae","tag-dubai-buzz","pmpro-has-access"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39525","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39525"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39525\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39532,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39525\/revisions\/39532"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39525"},{"taxonomy":"post_template","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_template?post=39525"},{"taxonomy":"top_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/top_category?post=39525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}