The skies above the Saudi Falcons Club headquarters in Mulham (north of Riyadh) witnessed fierce competition on Monday, the fifth day of the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2025 , the world's largest event of its kind. This day was marked by a record number of falcons participating in a single day, with 367 falcons competing across nine qualifying rounds for local owners, reflecting the festival's growing momentum and increasing popularity year after year.
Consolidating cultural heritage and strengthening identity
The organization of this festival, which runs until January 10, 2026, comes as part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's ongoing efforts to preserve the rich cultural heritage of falconry. This sport is an integral part of Arab and Saudi identity, and the festival aims to pass on this traditional practice to future generations and enhance the Kingdom's position as a global destination for heritage and cultural tourism. The festival also plays a pivotal role in supporting falconers and investment in this field, creating significant economic and cultural activity that aligns with the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 for the preservation of intangible heritage.
Details of the fifth day's competitions
The fifth day's competitions featured intense rivalries across various categories, including Gyrfalcon (both young and adult), Gyrfalcon-Peregrine hybrid (both young and adult), and Gyrfalcon-Peregrine hybrids. The falconers demonstrated exceptional skill in preparing their falcons for the lure race (400-meter lure), which demands both speed and precision.
Results of the Gyr Pure and Gyr Shaheen races
In the Gyr Purebred ( young) category, falconer Osama bin Thunayyan secured first place with his falcon (Gentle), followed by Abdullah Ghanem Al-Dosari with his falcon (A3), and then Hamad Mohsen Al-Marri with his falcon (Al-Muhadhab). In the Gyr Purebred ( , Dhafer Salem Al-Marri claimed first place with his falcon (Al-Mared), Abdullah Al-Ajmi came in second with (Al-Muhami), and Fahd Al-Quraini finished third with (Sultan).
In the Gyrfalcon , Saleh Al-Mutairi secured first place in the young falcon category with his falcon (Wanix). Meanwhile, in the adult falcon categories, Hamad Abdulmohsen Al-Marri won first place in the first category with his falcon (96), and Saud Al-Duaij claimed first place in the second category with his falcon (Sun).
Dominance and excitement in the rounds of Jeer Taba
The Gear category witnessed exciting competition, with the following results:
- First round (chick): First place for Khalid Al-Buainain with the falcon (Farouq).
- Second round (chick): First place for Khaled Al-Hajri with the falcon (K3).
- First round (Qarnas): First place goes to Hamad bin Musli Al-Qahtani with the falcon (Nimrod).
- Second round (Qarnas): First place went to Fahd Al-Nassar with the falcon (Al-Saab).
Huge awards and global prestige
It is worth noting that the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival is not merely a sporting competition, but a global event that has entered the Guinness World Records as the largest gathering of falcons. This year, the festival features 139 rounds with substantial prize money exceeding 38 million Saudi Riyals, distributed across the Al-Malwah and Al-Mazayin competitions. This underscores the significant support provided by the wise leadership to this sector. The competitions attract a select group of local and international falconers, fostering a spirit of fair competition and the exchange of expertise among professional and amateur falconers from around the world.
