With 2024 being the “Year of the Camel,” lovers of the indigenous “ships of the desert” can sink their spoons into creamy, lactose-free, premium gelato from Noug, a PIF-funded company from Sawani.

All seven distinct gelato flavors made from camel milk are now available at select local Saudi supermarkets across the Kingdom.

While camels have long been symbols of the country, few households in modern Saudi cities consume camel milk as part of their daily diet.

Noug, a relatively new brand on the market, has been expanding its business model rapidly in recent years. Launched this summer, the gelato offers customers a sweet way to rediscover the merits of camel milk.

In Noug’s gelato recipe, camel milk, which helps produce a thick, creamy consistency, is the primary ingredient. Since gelato is also churned at a much slower speed than ice cream, less air gets into the mix, making the cool dessert denser and richer.

We tried the coffee and cardamom flavor. As a lover of coffee, gelato and cardamom, I was a bit hesitant to try this camel milk version, but once I did, it truly hit the spot. It did not taste “weird” at all, but rather like gelato I might find somewhere in Europe, only with a distinctly Saudi flavoring and better packaging.

Each container includes a small spoon underneath the lid, which is convenient. The branding is on point too, with a camel-shaped barcode at the back. It was enjoyable and not foreign at all to my tongue.

Noug opened its first brick-and-mortar shop in the Saudi capital last year. Since then, it has established branches in AlUla, Jeddah, Makkah and a series of trucks in Alkhobar. It also offers delivery via various food apps.

Supermarkets now stock the cool stuff in the freezer aisle, so you can pick up a flavor — or all seven — to try on your next visit to the frozen dessert section. Each one goes for SR17 ($4).

Check @noug.ksa on Instagram for more details.