Saudi Arabia: Falcon auction gets off the ground

Cairo: The first edition of an international falcon breeders auction is under way in Saudi Arabia, drawing falconers from inside and outside the kingdom.

Inaugurating the month-long festival, Hussam bin Abdul Mohsen, the chief executive officer of the Saudi Falcons Club, said the auction targets all falconers in the region and provides the best falcon species from top breeding farms around the world.

The auction, organised by the Saudi Falcons Club in Malham north of Riyadh, continues until September 5.

“This auction offers an accredited and unique platform for selling falcons,” Bin Abdul Mohsen added. “The competitive auction will be daily for direct and quick sales, boosting falconry as heritage that the club is keen to pass on to the next generations,” he said.

The total revenue from selling five falcons on its first day reached SR221,000, according to the Saudi news agency SPA.

Falconry is a popular hobby and an essential part of cultural heritage in the Arabian Peninsula.