The skies above Malham, north of Riyadh, witnessed fierce competition on Sunday as part of the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2025 , organized by the Saudi Falcons Club. This event, the largest of its kind globally, brings together elite falconers from within the Kingdom and abroad in a unique cultural and sporting spectacle that will run until January 10, 2026.
On the fourth day, seven qualifying rounds were held for local amateurs within the “Al-Malwah” competition, with wide participation of 227 falcons distributed across multiple categories, including: three-year-old Gyrfalcons (young and adult), Shaheen falcons (young and adult), in addition to the Hurr falcon rounds (young and adult).
Results of the amateur races on the fourth day
The competitions resulted in outstanding results and remarkable performances from the participating falcons, and the list of winners of the top positions is as follows:
- The three-year-old Gyrfalcon race: Falconer Yousef Al-Mustanir won first place with his falcon “Tarshih”, followed by Faisal Al-Sharafi with his falcon “Sultan”, and then Abdullah Al-Afees with his falcon “Ghanah”.
- The three-year-old Gyrfalcon race: Awad Al-Aradi achieved first place with the falcon “Zann”, Hamad Al-Marri came in second with “Daghsh”, and Fahd Al-Qahtani came in third with “V12”.
- Shaheen Farakh round: Mo’ajeb Al-Dossari won first place with the falcon “Reema”, Meshaal Al-Shammari came in second with “Al-Samsamah”, and Rakan Al-Shaibani came in third with “RG”.
- Shaheen Qarnas round: Mohammed Al-Buainain won first place with the falcon “Shannaah”, followed by Hamad Al-Marri with “Hamah”, and Abdullah Al-Marri with “Mabrouk”.
- of the free-flying falcon competition , Abdulaziz Al-Fahigi won with the falcon “Latam”, while Fawaz Al-Hajri topped the second round with the falcon “Ghaith”.
- Free round Qarnas: Duaij Al-Duaij concluded today’s competitions by taking first place with the falcon “Habas”.
The importance of the festival and its role in preserving heritage
The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival holds strategic importance that transcends its status as a mere sporting competition; it represents a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia's efforts to preserve intangible cultural heritage and promote the art of falconry, a tradition deeply rooted in Arab history. In its previous editions, the festival has successfully entered the Guinness World Records as the largest gathering of falcons in the world, reflecting the Kingdom's international standing in this field.
Through this massive organization, the Saudi Falcons Club aims to support falconers and encourage them to continue in this hobby, in addition to passing on this ancient heritage to future generations, while adhering to the highest standards of the environment and wildlife protection.
Million-dollar prizes and various competitions
The 2025 edition of the festival is distinguished by its substantial prizes, with participants competing in 139 rounds for 1,012 prizes totaling over 38 million Saudi Riyals . The main competitions are divided into two categories: the "Al-Malwah" (400-meter lure) race, which focuses on speed, and the "Al-Mazayin" competition, which emphasizes the aesthetics and standard characteristics of falcons, making it a preferred destination for professionals, amateurs, and elite owners from around the world.
