FALCONRY Cherishing an ancient sport

falconry

One of the international exhibitors at the World of Hunting and Nature Exhibition held in Budapest recently was the Saudi Falcons Club. Its CEO, Hussam Bin Abdulmohsen Al-Huzaimi talked to Diplomacy&Trade about the strong historical bond between humans and falcons, how falconry can be used as a tool of biodiversity, among other issues.

GUINNESS CERTIFICATE AND REHABILITATION

For the promotion of this sport, the Saudi Falcons Club received a Guinness World Record Certificate of the largest falcon festival race tournament in the world, that is the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival. We hold this every year. “That is the promotion part. The other aspect of the work we do and aim at is to preserve a falcon in nature. Every year, the Falcons Club has an environmental program that aims to release falcons to the wild. Basically, when falcons reach a certain age and become old, we ask the owners through our campaigns to give these falcons to us. Then, we take this old falcon and we provide take eight or nine months of full rehabilitation after which we will be able to release the donated falcons to the wild in order to increase the population of the species. This effort of ours has recently been recognized by the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille, France. We presented our program at the IUCN, and we set up a huge workshop there showcasing how that program has contributed to wildlife conservation,” the Saudi Falcons Club CEO explained.

FALCONRY: CHERISHING AN ANCIENT SPORT

SAUDI FALCONS CLUB RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR THEIR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PROGRAM

The Saudi Falcons Club was established by a royal degree in 2017 in order to preserve falconry as heritage and legacy. Saudi Arabia – along with Hungary and many others – is also one of the countries where falconry is inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This ancient tradition in hunting with birds of prey also has a history in Hungary, specifically with the Saker Falcon, which is and endangered species at the moment. In general, falconry in Europe has been the sport of royals and noblemen since medieval times, the CEO explained.

A strong bond

Saudi Arabia has also a very long history of animal sports, not just falconry but also involving horses and camels – these go back thousands of years. Archaeologists discovered, in an area in southern Saudi Arabia, inscriptions from more than 6,000 years ago about taming horses and falconry as well. In those times, the bond between humans and falcons for finding food was very strong: falcons needed human and humans needed the falcons, he added. “In Saudi Arabia, we have more than 25,000 active falconers at the moment. These falconers have learned this hobby and experienced this sport from their grandgrand grandfathers. They have learned taming and protecting falcons and the need to enliven in this heritage. As it is part of our heritage running in the family from our ancestors, we have a clear objective to protect it,” Hussam Bin Abdulmohsen Al-Huzaimi pointed out.

A tool of biodiversity

He believes that falconry is a biodiversity tool. “It's not just your regular hunting with using weapons and using advantages. When you hunt with falcons, there is no advantage – it is mother nature at its best. Falconry is a great example of this. For me, and for sure many others, falconry is sustainable hunting at its best. It is just pure hunt and I believe that this is something that we need to further develop and pass the experience on to others rather than using weapons for hunting.” Being at the exhibition, the CEO said feedback is exciting. “People are amazed when they see the falcons, you can see how they want to get near the birds and they want to experience something unique. For them, it's very attractive even for the younger ones: when they see the falcons, they cannot keep that eye off the birds. Then, the question arises: ‘can I own one?’ ‘Can I train it?’ Trust me, you can. It is easier to do than with any other pet. However, you need to have that bond and you need to have the right knowledge of training falcons and taking good care of them.”

Leagues of their own

For those deciding to take on falconry, the Saudi Falcons Club CEO suggested they buy captive-bred falcons and not wild ones. He mentioned breeding centers in Europe, including Hungary. The top clients of these centers are from the Middle East, especially the GCC countries like Saudi Arabia. He believes it is a business the potential of which is not yet fully discovered. As regards international cooperation in the field of falconry, Hussam Bin Abdulmohsen Al-Huzaimi highlighted that “falconry has its own, let's say, league around the world. In every country, there is an association for falconry. When they see other falconers from other country those use the same language, they have the same hobby and they have also an experience that they would love to share. This exhibition is a great opportunity for promoting breeding falcon centers in Hungary, businesses to sell falcons to their clients in foreign countries.”

The future of falconry

The CEO stressed that the Saudi Falcons Club has a clear strategy path. “The first one is promoting falconry as a human heritage – and we do this through our events. We have three mega events. The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival is the biggest falcons race in the world, attracting 2,500 falconers attending this race every year. Another event is the International Falcon Breeders Auction, attracting most of the breeding centers from Europe that showcase their breeds of falcons. The third event is the International Saudi Falcons & Hunting Exhibition, which is held currently in Saudi Arabia. It is an event where we promote the gears and tools that falconers need in order to train the falcons.”