Saudi female falconers soar to new heights of professionalism
Record SR36m prizes up for grabs at King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival
Cairo: Saudi female falconers have expressed happiness for getting the chance to vie in the current edition of the King Abdulaziz Festival, considered the world's largest gathering of its kind.
The organiser of the event, being held near Riyadh, has allocated one round in the festival for female falconers, allowing them to show off their professionalism as part of a policy aimed to expand the range of participation.
In the women's round in which 17 falconers competed on Friday, Ghada Al Harqan came first with the falcon Lord.
Hadeel Al Mutairi, deemed the first physically challenged falconer in Saudi Arabia, said she had previously participated in falconry competitions and finished in top places. Hadeel's falconry hobby started at the age of nine.
For her part, falconer Reem said she prepared well to participate in the women’s round at the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2024, noting that she had previously participated in a falconry event in the Hafar Al Batin region in north-eastern Saudi Arabia.
"The King Abdulaziz Festival is a great opportunity to learn more about the heritage of falconry and exchange experiences," she told the Saudi news agency SPA.
The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival started earlier this month with a record pool of prizes worth SR36 million. The festival runs until December 19.
Organised by the Saudi Falcons Club, the annual event aims to enhance the role of falcons in national identity, preserve the traditions of breeding and training them, showcase cultural heritage, and attract visitors to discover Saudi culture.
The club's spokesman Walid Al Taweel said that holding a round for women this year came within the framework of expanding participation in this time-honoured heritage of which the kingdom is proud.
Falconry is a popular hobby and an essential part of cultural heritage in the Arabian Peninsula.
Held at the club’s headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh, the event usually draws the participation of elite local and international falcon owners. The festival is also a magnet for falconry fans in the kingdom and other Gulf countries.