(Bloomberg) -- Grammy-winning rapper and producer Swizz Beatz has spent millions of dollars on camels since setting out in 2020 to become the first American to own a racing team in Saudi Arabia.

Now, he’s hoping the bet will pay off as he takes the Saudi Bronx, as his herd is called, to one of the world’s richest camel races in pursuit of a $21 million prize pot. 

“It’s a very good investment if your teams are winning,” Beatz said.

Having worked with artists like DMX, Jay-Z, Kanye West and his wife, Alicia Keys, Beatz has been engaging with a different crowd in recent years: desert Bedouins, who domesticated camels thousands of years ago. 

It’s the Bedouins who have helped Beatz amass and train a team of 52 camels — many of which are named after his kids and friends — that are fit for taking part in one of the Middle East’s most traditional pastimes. 

Four of Beatz’s camels will compete this week in the four-day AlUla Camel Cup, one of the biggest in the region in terms of prize money.

The kingdom has been digging deeper into its oil wealth in recent history to invest in sports and entertainment as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aims to remake his country into a haven for global visitors. It aims to lure 70 million international tourists a year by 2030 and plans to spend almost $1 trillion over the next decade on the tourism industry alone.

AlUla, an ancient oasis city the size of New Jersey, is a key part of that transformation plan. The heritage site is undergoing a $15 billion revamp into a luxury travel destination with resorts, shops, restaurants and colossal tombs that date to the first century B.C. About a quarter of a million visitors traveled there last year, a third non-Saudis.

Read More: Saudi Arabia Is Making a High-Risk $1 Trillion Bet on Tourism

When Beatz descends on AlUla, it won’t just be his camels keeping him busy. The Bronx native serves as an ambassador of Saudi culture and invests in the kingdom through Riyadh-based creative consultancy Good Intentions. The rapper and producer is also set to DJ at AlUla on Wheels on Thursday and Friday.

Beatz and his wife are known to spend a lot of time in the nascent tourism hub. Alicia Keys, the Grammy-winning singer and songwriter, has been criticized by human rights activists for performing in the country. Beatz said the criticism stems from a lack of understanding about the realities on the ground.

“The easiest thing that I would tell them is to take a trip to the country before we have the conversation so you can be educated on what’s happening today,” said Beatz, whose real name is Kasseem Dean. “Speak to somebody that’s from there and ask them how they feel. There have been a lot of different changes.”

This year’s AlUla Camel Cup features one in particular: It’ll see female riders racing for the first time. 

Beatz’s camels will race solo. Saudi Bronx has already won about 20 trophies in competitions across Gulf countries including the UAE and Qatar. His next big move may be to take his team back home to the states.

“I would wanna master it a little bit more and learn and understand a few more things before expanding it to the other side,” he said. “I don’t think that it will be too long down the road.”

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