Over 500 falconers representing 75 countries are expected to participate in the third edition of the International Festival of Falconry from 7th to 13th December. Researchers, officials and representatives from UNESCO and other international organisations working towards the preservation of falconry and the environment come together in what is billed as the world’s largest gathering of falconers.
The first edition of the festival, which is organised by the Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee – Abu Dhabi, took place in 1976 under the patronage of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in a bid to preserve the heritage of the UAE and share the customs and traditions to future generations.
“At a very early stage, His Highness foresaw the urgent need to strike a balance between the preservation of the entrenched heritage of falconry and the maintenance of the population of falcons and their preys in the wild,” said HE Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, chairman of the Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee – Abu Dhabi. “His unique vision outlined a pressing action that was later branded by contemporary environmentalists as the principle of sustained hunting.”
Today, the cultural initiative, which complements the annual Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX), is held under the patronage of HH President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
“The festival provides an outstanding environment for the exchange and dialogue between civilisations and cultures and offers a rare platform for the gathering of peoples, organisations and individuals who hold a special interest in falconry,” said Mazrouei. “All these efforts help in the promotion of the UAE as a nation that has succeeded in reconciling between the present with all its developments and characteristics and the past with its authenticity, genuineness and culture.”
The International Festival of Falconry will feature folkloric performances that demonstrate falconry practice in various civilizations from the Middle East and Africa to Japan, Eastern Asia and the United Sates as well as educational, art and cultural competitions for visitors.
The festivals committee also organises a number of events including the Liwa Date Festival, Baynounah Camel Mazayna (camel beauty contest) and Al Gharbia Watersports Festival. For more information visit: www.falconryfestival.com.
