Falconry in UAE: From hobby to ‘heritage sport’

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

Once a hobby for locals, now with the support and extraordinary passion of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, falconry has became part of the Dhs40 million Fazza Championship.

This was stated by Rashid Bin Markhan, Deputy CEO, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre (HHC), while talking with Gulf Today on the newly initiated Fakhr Al Ajyal (Pride of Generations) Championship for Falconry – Telwah on Saturday.

“Some years ago falcon breeding was considered as a hobby to train these birds for hunting but for the first time the Crown Prince took the step to create a series of heritage activities in Fazza Championship as competitions and put millions as prize money,” he said.

Now Saudi Arabia has also started falconry events as heritage sports through a series of events based on Sheikh Hamdan’s established Fazza Championship.

“In the first falconry championship there were 500 falcons registered and this year the number increased to 5,000 birds from mixed breeds to pure breeds being raised in a number of farms across the country,” he said.

“Last year we had around over 120 participants who showcased their falconry passion in different categories of the championship. Every year we witnessed the number of participants increasing across the country. This year when the registration was started in October, we received more than double the number of participants compared to last year. Our organising committee decided to open a new category – Fakhr Al Ajyal Championship for Falconry-Telwah – to accommodate the huge number of participants including locals and non-locals of all age groups,” he said.

It is also mentioned that the competitions in different categories of the falcon championship started from December till mid-February. “In the region, the hunting season usually starts from December till March so we have to keep our falconry events in this period but the preparations for this start months ago in summer. We have over a 1,000 workforce of employees in different fields who help the HHC finalise the preparations on time. The HHC has been organising a large number of events under the Fazza Championship including Falconry, Youlah, Saluki, Swimming, Shooting and Camel Races,” he said.

Responding to a question, he pointed out that the purpose of the new categories in falconry championship was to provide more opportunities to the local population showing great interest in preserving the local heritage. “Since last year, we are accommodating young girls in our “Junior” falcon category where the number of girls are increasing which shows that every segment of the society is taking part in maintaining local heritage,” he added.

Rashid Bin Markhan assured that the series of events under the Fazza Championships are more than showcasing “traditional heritage sports” as it is more importantly a way of transferring the heritage from one generation to the next besides keeping the passion on a high note.

However, on the first day, the junior category saw a large number, around 240 of young falconers in eight races, along with their family members who provided moral support for their young stars.

In the kids’ group were four sisters – Shaikha Salem Saif (11), Mariam (9), Afra (8) and Hessa (6) – who along with their father were participating in the “Junior Category” of Fakhr Al Ajyal Championship for Falconry which started in Al Ruwwayeh Desert, Dubai.

Besides a number of young falconers, there were other siblings including Rashid, 8, and Hamdan 5, along with their three falcons aiming at a slot in the top 10 positions.

Commenting on the “Junior Category,” Rashid Bin Markhan said, “It was heart-warming to see young Emirati children – aged between 5 to 14 – participating in falconry racing.

“Their display of love and enthusiasm for falcons bodes well for the future of this heritage sport. We see a new generation of Emiratis and we witness how they grow up into future champion falconers.”

He added, “We are assured that the future of falconry in the country is bright. The strong participation of the junior falconers is important in achieving the strategic objective of the HHC to encourage young people to continue the legacy handed down from their grandparents through successive generations,” he said.

Among the major winners are the Saif Al Ketbi sisters. Maryam Salem Saif Al-Ketbi finished first place in one of the races in the Jirnas category (falcons over one year), with her bird “Western” that finished the 400-metre distance in 21.977 seconds. She was followed by Rashid Hamdan Ahmed Bin Al Sheikh’s falcon in second place with Amir Rashid Omair Al-Ketbi’s falcon in third.