Twelve international professionals were crowned with King Abdulaziz Cups in the Al-Malwah competition at the current edition of the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2025, organized by the Saudi Falcons Club at its headquarters in Mulham (north of Riyadh). The festival continues until next Saturday, with wide international participation reflecting the Kingdom's growing stature as a leading global destination for this ancient heritage sport.
This event comes within the context of the great importance Saudi Arabia places on reviving its cultural heritage, as falconry is an integral part of Arab and Gulf identity. The Kingdom's efforts, represented by the Saudi Falcons Club, have contributed to the inscription of this sport on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, making the festival an annual platform that brings together falconers from around the world to exchange expertise and compete in a traditional atmosphere blended with a modern spirit.
The international professional rounds witnessed fierce competition with the participation of 224 falcons, with Gulf falconers dominating the podium. Bahraini falconers secured four prestigious trophies; in the three-year-old Gyrfalcon category, Mohammed Al-Hajri won the trophy with his falcon (50 Adhari G), while Team BHR won the Hurr Qarnas category with their falcon (27), and Ahmed Al-Hajri added a remarkable achievement by winning the Shaheen Farakh and Shaheen Qarnas categories with his falcons (S1) and (Dhahab S56).
On the Emirati side, the teams demonstrated high readiness, with the Emirati team (F3-S) winning four cups in the categories of Gyr Pure (young and adult) with falcons (B16) and (Al-Mutawatar), Gyr Shaheen (adult) with falcon (S9), and Gyr Tabaa (adult) with falcon (T50). The Emirati team (F3) continued its success by winning three cups in the categories of Gyr (young), Shaheen (young), and Tabaa (young), while Emirati Mohammed Al-Balushi won the cup in the Hurr (young) category with his falcon (Alqam).
In keeping with the festival's diverse offerings, the "Nova" category, dedicated to Mongolian falcons, was held. Team Bin Jeraa, with their falcon (H12), won first place, followed by falconer Sultan Al Amer in second, and falconer Hamid Al Mansouri in third. The allocation of categories to specific breeds reflects the festival's commitment to inclusive competition and its openness to various types of falcons and their capabilities.
The festival is gaining increasing international importance, having successfully strengthened its global presence after entering the Guinness World Records with three records as the world's largest falconry festival in terms of the number of participating falcons and the prizes awarded. This year's event brings together participants from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, in addition to falconers from Spain, Italy, Ireland, Pakistan, and Syria, underscoring its role in promoting cultural diplomacy.
Tomorrow, all eyes will be on the elite local races, which will witness competition for 12 King Abdulaziz Cups for various categories including Pure Gyrfalcon, Gyrfalcon Shaheen, Gyrfalcon Tabaa, Hurr, and Shaheen (young and adult), amid great anticipation from fans of this sport to find out the champions of the local edition.
