Saudi Arabia: King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2025 Launches With Falconers From Nine Countries

Saudi Arabia: King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2025 Launches With Falconers From Nine Countries

The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2025, the world’s largest falconry gathering, has officially launched at the Saudi Falcons Club headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh. The festival runs from December 25 until January 10, 2026, bringing together falconers from nine countries in a celebration of one of the region’s most treasured traditions.

The opening day featured six qualifying rounds for elite Saudi falconers across the Pure Gyr, Gyr Hybrid, and Saker categories, each divided into juvenile and mature classes. Over the course of the festival, a total of 139 competitive rounds will take place, offering 1,012 prizes with a combined value exceeding SAR 38 million.

The competitions are divided into two main tracks: Al Melwah and Al Mazayen. Al Melwah, a 400-metre lure race, includes categories for owners, amateurs, professionals, and elite falconers, with dedicated rounds for both Saudi and international participants. Al Mazayen focuses on falcon beauty and aesthetics, evaluated according to precise standards, and continues to attract falconers from across the globe.

Participants include falconers from Gulf Cooperation Council countries, as well as competitors from Italy, Ireland, and Syria. The festival further strengthens its international standing after earning three Guinness World Records for being the world’s largest falconry festival based on the number of participating falcons.

Saudi Falcons Club spokesperson Waleed Al Taweel said this year’s festival places strong emphasis on passing falconry traditions to future generations. He highlighted the inclusion of dedicated rounds for children and women, along with a schools category designed to expand participation and ensure the structured transfer of falconry knowledge to younger generations, while encouraging broader community engagement.

Al Taweel added that the 2025 edition introduces new specialised rounds, including the Nova Falcon round and a category dedicated to Mongolian falcons, reflecting the festival’s continued development and diversity.

The festival is open to visitors daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to the main competitions, it offers a wide range of attractions, including exhibitions of falconry equipment, showcases by productive families, sponsor pavilions, and the “Future Falconer” zone. This interactive area provides educational programmes for children, along with outdoor activities that reflect the heritage, skills, and aesthetics of falconry.

The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival continues to play a vital role in preserving and promoting falconry, which has been inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2010. The festival reinforces Saudi Arabia’s position as a global hub for falcons and falconers, offering a rich 17-day cultural, sporting, and educational experience for visitors, enthusiasts, and professionals alike.