Shaistha Khan

Preparing, serving and sipping gahwa—the Arabic word for coffee—is a ritual steeped in centuries of hospitality. In December in Abu Dhabi, the inaugural Gahwa Championships honored not only tradition but also innovation.

Celebrating their national animal, some 40,000 camels are brought by truck, by trek, singly and in herds, to compete in contests of beauty, speed and obedience outside Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Camel-culture exhibits round out the annual King Abdulaziz Camel Festival.