Youngest Emirati falconer steals light at Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition has long celebrated the traditions of falconry, horsemanship, and Emirati heritage. 

This year, amid the bustle of traders, trainers, and families, one of the youngest participants became the unlikely star: a boy of just nine years old, holding a falcon with the ease of a seasoned master. 

According to Al Khaleej newspaper, the child, Hamad Jassim Al Hammadi, said his passion for falcons began the day one was born in front of him. 

“I’ve watched it grow, and I’ve grown with it,” he explained, his voice carrying the mix of pride and innocence that made him a crowd favorite.

In the exhibition halls, grandfather, father, and son stood together, embodying a heritage passed carefully from one hand to the next. “Falconry is not just a season; it is a way of life,” one exhibitor said.

In Al Hammadi family, the tradition runs especially deep. Hamad’s uncle, Rashid Al Hammadi, recalled that his father had served for more than three decades as a personal falconer to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the nation. 

Their grandfather, Mohammed Khamees Al Hammadi, was among the trainers entrusted with Sheikh Zayed’s prized birds. “We lived falconry with Sheikh Zayed for over thirty years,” he said. “It was an experience full of knowledge and pride.”