Abu Dhabi: The 13th edition International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition will begin on Wednesday at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), the organisation committee announced on Tuesday.
Being held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region and Chairman of the Emirates Falconers’ Club (EFC), the annual exhibitions which runs from September 9 to 12, is set to be the largest since it started covering an area of 40 thousand square metres.
It will be one of the largest Arab cultural heritage and sustainable hunting events with around 650 companies from 40 different countries participating in the show which is expected to receive more than 60,000 visitors over four days.
“The four-day exhibition comes with 16 exciting events such as the competitions for the Biggest and Most Beautiful Falcons Bred in Captivity, the Best Paintings and Photographs depicting hunting, equestrian or heritage scenes or the Finest Nabati Poems describing falcons and hunters,” said Abdullah Butti Al Qubaisi, Director of Adihex and Projects Director of the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee — Abu Dhabi.
“Moreover, the public will be able to visit a heritage village, have educational and cultural interactions and watch a handicrafts’ live show in the committee’s pavilion, in addition to the daily poetry evenings and folklore shows,” he added.
The exhibition will showcase a range of events, some of which include free pony riding and grooming sessions, dog and bird shows, falconry area featuring Emirati falcons and sessions on handling falcons, paintball target shooting, live demonstration and workshop on knife making and knife testing and Shaikh Mansour Festival activities.
Speaking to Gulf News, Al Qubaisi highlighted the uniqueness of Adihex in the way the cultural elements are shared with participants as well as visitors. “We think the hunting shows have become a platform where we can see the transformation of culture, heritage and information from generation to generation in one unit. So we see the grandfather, father and the son all coming together and sharing their experiences from how life used to be to now.”
This year’s exhibition is seven times the size of the initial event which was launched in 2003 and has 70 new companies participating.
