Al Ain: The festival of falconry will Thursday move its activities to downtown Al Ain, opening up for the general public for three days.

The activities of the festival will be concentrated at the historic Jahili Fort and the adjacent Jahili Park starting at 10am daily and running through to the grand parade of nations at 6.30pm, according to the organisers of the festival.

The entry is free for all people will be able to have a fantastic family day out. They will also be able to meet with the falconers from all over the world and learn about their cultures and traditions. The activities will demonstrate national dresses, food, music, and dances of the participating countries.

The organisers have invited expatriate communities living in the UAE to come in their national dresses and support their countries' teams. At the main arena of the fort, Austria, Belgium, China, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Pakistan, UAE, and UK performances will be staged.

A photography competition on subjects related to falconry will also held Thursday and official delegates from UNESCO will adjudge the winners from the finalists' work. All finalists will be given an 8-day return package trip from their home to Abu Dhabi.

The photographs sent for the competition have be exhibited at Jahili Fort and a reception for all the entrants in the art, craft, and photographic competitions will also be held today. The judges will announce the winners in all categories. The overall winner in each category will receive a cash prize of £500.