Falconry, the traditional sport of using trained birds of prey to hunt, is a complex and immersive sport that has been practiced globally for over 4,000 years.
It is not indigenous to one community, people, or territory, and has become embedded in various cultures worldwide. In December 2016, UNESCO adopted falconry as a living human heritage under the Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Falconry has become an international cultural symbol, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken great strides in the regulation and preservation of the sport’s heritage.
The peregrine falcon is the most predatory aerial bird of all falcon subspecies. A burqa is used on a falcon’s face to cover its eyes, as sight is their strongest sense. Falcons are quite vicious birds, yet coexistence can occur between humans and falcons, where a bond can be created and a relationship fostered through special training and proper handling.
The history of falconry training in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia originates from the roots of Bedouin heritage of hunting with falcons. In December 2020, the Kingdom took the initiative to release falcons into the wild where they belonged, taking huge steps to protect wildlife. The program was called Hadad and was launched as the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia, supported by the Special Forces for Environmental Security and the National Center for Wildlife Development.
In 2019, the annual King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival was established under the Saudi Falcon Club, creating an international and local arena for falconers to participate in competitions with financial prizes such as Al-Melwah, the 400-m falcon calling, and Al-Mazayen falcon beauty pageant. The third KAFF, held at the headquarters of the SFC in Riyadh, attracted international participants and 2,110 falcons. While hunting has been prohibited in the peninsula since 1975, the traditional sport of falconry and even pageantry continues to thrive and is referred to as โthe sport of the kingsโ by Sultan bin Towais Al-Qahtani, a businessman and expert in the field of falconry.
Four years ago, Al-Nadir For Falcons opened its doors to the public as an all-round center for auctioning, raising, training, producing, and hospital care for falcons. The center was founded in 2017 by Khalid bin Towais Al-Qahtani, Sultan bin Towaisโ older brother. Al-Nadir provides educational training services for all levels of falconers, whether they are professionals or amateurs, and includes some alternative medicine treatments by experts and falconers who are specialists in the field.
When asked if anyone could acquire a falcon, Al-Qahtani said it was possible for everyone to acquire this bird. โIt is important to mention that the SFC provided us with many services to serve this field and in the preservation of this deep-rooted heritage in terms of holding competitions, facilitating the procedures for acquiring falcons, holding annual auctions for migratory falcons that are offered locally and internationally for external farms and falconers. There also exists an annual exhibition in Malham in Riyadh.
โThere are special centers for local production, and we saw their production this year at the international auction, where they achieved great success,โ Al-Qahtani said. โThe local production also participated in Al-Melwah competition and achieved records in Al-Mazayen competition, achieving first place in this competition. We are proud of this national achievement, yet there are currently no official centers from the state, but many founded by citizen falconers.โ
Al-Qahtani won first place in the Riyadh Season Cup Al-Mazayen Falcon Beauty Pageant in 2019 with his falcon named “Khalid”. He believes that falconry is not just a sport but a way of life, where the relationship between the falconer and the bird is based on mutual trust and respect.
In conclusion, falconry is a rich and important part of cultural heritage that has been practiced globally for thousands of years. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken great strides in the regulation and preservation of the sport, through initiatives such as Hadad and the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival. Centers such as Al-Nadir For Falcons provide services for falconers at all levels and also offer educational training and alternative medicine treatments for the birds. Falconry is not just a sport but a way of life that requires a strong bond between the falconer and the bird based on trust and respect.
