18-05-2025
UAE: Rare Goat With Mix Of Deer And Dog-Like Features Sold For Dh70,000
At the Al Munaie Auction held in Ras Al Khaimah on Friday, a goat from the rare Salali breed was sold for Dh70,000 (approx. $19,000).
Videos shared on social media showed how the dramatic auction unfolded for the goat with a mix of deer and dog-like features.
The Salali breed, originally from Oman, is popular across the UAE and the Gulf region. These goats are known for their distinctive features, including a well-proportioned body, small upright ears, sparse hair, coiled tails, and circular patterns on their fur in various sizes — traits that enhance their appeal and value.
The Al Munaie Auction is one of the most prominent livestock auctions in the area, attracting breeders and livestock enthusiasts, especially those interested in rare and high-quality breeds.
A wide range of goats is featured at the event, including the Salali and Sudanese breeds. Prices vary significantly depending on lineage and physical traits, with Sudanese goats typically ranging between Dh1,500 and Dh4,000.
The high-profile sale highlights the growing interest in breeding and collecting rare livestock in the UAE, driven by a cultural appreciation for excellence in animal husbandry.
Bu Mershad, from Al-Nabag Farm in Al Ain, a specialist in educating the community about raising different breeds of goats and other animals in the UAE, said: 'In every hobby or field, we often see unusually high prices. This is either because the buyer has a specific goal in mind—hoping to achieve exceptional results from what they purchase and eventually make back double or more from selling its offspring, such as from a specially selected male with outstanding traits—or simply because they enjoy owning a unique type, regardless of how much they pay.'
These results are usually the product of another breeder's hard work and effort, who has carefully selected mothers and males with specific desired colours, body shapes, and symmetry suited to this hobby, he pointed out.
Origin of the name
He said one such goat breed is called Salali, and it is named after its place of origin, Salalah in the Sultanate of Oman. It has since spread to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, where breeders have developed its colours and symmetry.
There are types of goats known as al-Murashsh, al-Mutayyal, al-Habashi brown, and the white with spots, each named according to its colour. 'Every category has its own specific and distinctive traits that breeders, enthusiasts, and professionals look for—and prices are set based on those qualities,' said Bu Mershad.
To give an example of high prices in other fields, he said that a parrot in the UAE was earlier sold for Dh100,000 due to a rare genetic mutation and unique colour. In the whole animal world, he said a trained chimpanzee raised from infancy was sold for Dh300,000. 'Similarly, some falcons have been sold for millions of dirhams. Every animal type has its own group of fans and hobbyists who are willing to pay large sums depending on their purpose for owning them,' he observed.
