Riyadh, June 29, 2021, SPA -- Founder and President of the International Camel Organization (ICO) Fahad bin Falah bin Hithlin chaired today the International Conference of Experts of Camel International and UNESCO, held under the title, "Cultural Practices on Camel Traditions to Advance Sustainable Development Goals", in the presence of Ernesto Ottone and a number of international speakers with experience in all fields of camels. During an inauguration speech, bin Hithlin said that considerable attention is paid to camel culture at the local and regional levels but lagging behind at the international level due to lack of information about this culture, its traditions, arts and economies. He also said that this prompted him to establish the ICO in 2019 to serve as a global platform to promote the cultural legacy of camels, adding that camels are not only associated with Arabs as it is stereotypically viewed in many parts of the world but there are many other cultures, mainly in the West, with deep camel traditions. He explained that the camel culture has long been associated with war and transport but the ICO's main focus is on camel economies and the preservation of the oral tradition associated with the cultural legacy of camels which falls within the sustainable development goals and the UNESCO's efforts to preserve world cultural heritages. The conference is the first global event through the UNESCO platform to discuss the cultural heritage of camels. The topics of the conference will be on preservation of the living cultural heritage embodied in camel traditions, sustainability of local camel-grazing practices for economic and social development, utilization of camel-based practices for the preservation of biodiversity, mitigation of climate change, and strengthening of evidence of the scientific and educational dimensions of camels’ tradition. --SPA 20:02 LOCAL TIME 17:02 GMT 0040 www.spa.gov.sa/w1578535