Dubai: A Saudi man has sold a falcon for 405,000 riyals at an auction organised by the Saudi Falcon Club on Saturday, local media reported.
The falconer succeeded in hunting the bird in Tuarif in the Kingdom’s northern region after many attempts in two days of awaiting and anticipation.
The man said he will use the money to help his son, Shadi, get married and pay the costs of his marriage.
Shadi expressed his great delight at the deal, which will enable him to pay his marriage expenses. “I used to go with my father to hunt falcons since my early age, Falconry is a hobby I inherited from my grandparents, but this is the first time to participate in the Saudi Falcon Club’s auction.”
“The bidding for the heated auction started at 100,000 riyals, and continued until we sold the wild bird for 405,000 riyals,” Shadi said.
The falcon auction, which started on October 1 and continues until November 15, features local breeds. The first edition of the local falcon auction was held last year and generated a high turnout.
Falconers are gearing up for the widely anticipated fourth edition of the King Abdulaziz Falcon Festival, which is scheduled to take place from November 26-December 16, the biggest of its kind that set Guinness World Records twice in a row, Walid Al Taweel, spokesman for the Saudi Falcon Club, said. Falconry is a popular hobby and an essential part of cultural heritage in the Arabian Gulf.
