The skies above Malham, north of the Saudi capital Riyadh, witnessed fierce competition as part of the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2025 , where 12 international professionals were crowned with the King Abdulaziz Cups in the Al-Malwah competition. This event, organized by the Saudi Falcons Club , continues until next Saturday, reaffirming the Kingdom's position as a leading global destination for this ancient heritage.
Details of the coronation and Gulf dominance
In a competitive atmosphere that brought together elite falconers, the international professional rounds witnessed wide participation with 224 falcons. Falconers from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries stood out remarkably, with brothers from the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates sharing the podium.
Bahraini falconers secured four prestigious trophies. Falconer Mohammed Al-Hajri won the "Mathlouth Gyr Qarnas" category with his falcon (50 Adhari G), while Team BHR claimed the "Hurr Qarnas" title with their falcon (27). Falconer Ahmed Al-Hajri achieved a remarkable double victory, winning both the "Shaheen Farakh" and "Qarnas" categories with his falcons (S1) and (Dhahab S56).
On the other hand, Emirati falcons made a strong showing, with Team F3-S winning four trophies across various categories, including Gyrfalcon (both young and adult), Gyrfalcon-Peregrine hybrid (adult), and Gyrfalcon-Peregrine hybrid (adult). Team F3 further solidified this dominance by securing three additional trophies in the three-part category, with Emirati falconer Mohammed Al Baloushi winning the trophy in the Gyrfalcon (young) category.
Nova round... and Mongolian falcon competitions
As part of the diversity witnessed by the festival, the “Nova” round was held, dedicated to Mongolian falcons, which witnessed a special competition that ended with the “Bin Jeraa” team winning first place with the falcon (H12), leaving second place to falconer Sultan Al-Amer, and third place to falconer Hamid Al-Mansouri.
The festival: a cultural legacy and record-breaking achievements
The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival is not merely a sporting competition; it is a massive cultural and heritage event aimed at preserving the art of falconry and passing it on to future generations. The festival has successfully established its global reputation by entering the Guinness World Records three times as the world's largest falconry festival in terms of the number of participating falcons.
The event is gaining increasing regional and international importance, as this year it brings together falconers from different continents of the world, including participants from Spain, Italy, Ireland, Pakistan and Syria, reflecting the soft power of the Kingdom and its ability to bring together different cultures under the umbrella of common human heritage.
Stay tuned for the elite rounds
Tomorrow, all eyes will be on the “Elite Locals” rounds, which are among the strongest competitions of the festival, where Saudi falconers will compete for 12 King Abdulaziz Cups in the categories of Gyrfalcon, Peregrine Falcon, and Saker Falcon (young and adult), in an anticipated finale that will highlight the skills of local falconers.
