How Emirati-Japanese falconry camp in Abu Dhabi promotes cultural exchange

Abu Dhabi: In a dramatic collaboration, the Emirates Falconers Club has kicked of a thrilling Emirati-Japanese falconry camp in Remah, Al Ain to celebrate the relationship between man and raptor, a centuries-old tradition that refines the art of falconry.

The event, born from a strategic alliance with the Japanese ‘Inpex-JODCO’ Foundation, unfolds as a deepening of friendship and cultural exchange.

With a dynamic array of activities, the camp, spanning from January 5 to 8, unites Emirati and Japanese falconers in a mesmerizing display of shared passion.

Adding to the spectacle, students from the Mohammed bin Zayed School of Falconry and Desert Physiognomy, along with those from the Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for Boys, weave their presence into the tapestry of this exhilarating experience. The aim is to help students hone their leadership skills and learn about their culture and heritage.

Authentic traditions

The agreement signed between the Emirates Falconers Club and the Inpex-JODCO Foundation includes hosting Japanese falconers to train and learn about authentic Arab falconry traditions.

The event also provides Japanese “Sawa” Falconry School for Emirati students and falconers with the aim of learning about Japanese falconry and a number of its schools and methods rooted in cultural heritage.

Majid Ali Al Mansouri, Secretary General of the Emirates Falconers Club, expressed his happiness in welcoming all falconers and those keen to participate in the joint Emirati-Japanese Falconer Programme.

Cultural exchange

He said that the unique cultural exchange promises to be a rich experience between two countries known for their deep-rooted traditions in the field of falconry.

He added: “During the camp days, we expect a rich exchange of practical skills and vital opinions that serve to establish lasting communication within the framework of close friendship, shared knowledge and the beauty of culture in the world of falconry, and to celebrate together the rich tapestry of Emirati and Japanese falconry traditions.”

Non-profit

The Emirates Falconers’ Club is a non-profit organisation established to raise awareness of the value of falconry as a common human heritage and art.

It brings together falconers, both inside and outside the UAE, and educates its members about sustainable hunting practices and the ethics of falconry.

The protection and development of the UAE’s inherent heritage of falconry is an essential driver of the club and promotes this knowledge and values.

Sustainable hunting

Through its projects, the club seeks to preserve falconry as a human heritage and historical legacy, to introduce the basic principles and sound practices of Arab falconry and its ethics, to promote sustainable hunting, to support studies, legislation and mechanisms aimed at preserving biological diversity, and to contribute to projects to preserve falcons and game, propagate them in captivity, and protect their natural environments.

The club also organises related activities and events, and develops international cooperation with institutions concerned with falconry conservation.

Since its founding in 2001, the Emirates Falconers Club has achieved many milestones in the field of sustainable hunting locally and globally.

Part of the club’s strategy is to achieve the practice of falconry on a large scale and in a sustainable manner, develop programs and research to preserve falcons and game, increase their numbers and types in the wild, and achieve broad acceptance of sustainable hunting at the global level.

Human heritage

Abu Dhabi’s efforts to preserve falconry as a human heritage has become one of the country’s most important traditions.

In 1976, Abu Dhabi organized the first international conference to preserve falconry. These efforts have led to announce establishing the Emirates Falconers’ Club in September 2001.