Falconry

Falconry is an intangible cultural heritage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, based on hunting with falcons.[8] It has been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO since 2010.[1]

This heritage receives official attention, reflected in the establishment of the Saudi Falcons Club and in the organisation of a series of festivals, markets and auctions that have made the Kingdom a destination for falconers from within the Kingdom and beyond.[3][4]

The states participating in the joint file signed the final version of the international file for the registration of falconry on 28 Sha'ban 1430 AH, corresponding to 19 August 2009, for submission to UNESCO with the aim of inscribing falconry on the Representative List for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.[2]

These states were represented by twelve countries: the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Syria, Morocco, Qatar, Belgium, France, Czechia, Slovakia, Mongolia, South Korea, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.[2]

The goal was achieved, as falconry was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2010.[1]

The Royal Order to establish the Falcons Club was issued in Shawwal 1438 AH, corresponding to July 2017, within the framework of the support of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for the preservation of this heritage and its long historical connection.[3]

The club's headquarters is located in Malham, north of Riyadh, and from there it organises the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival.[1]

The Saudi Falcons Club organises the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival annually at its headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh, and it is the largest gathering of falcons in the world.[1]

The 2025 edition saw falconers compete over 17 days, from 25 December 2025 to 10 January 2026, in 139 rounds in which 1,012 prizes were awarded, worth a total of more than SAR 38 million, within two main competitions: the Al-Mallwah (Al-Da'w, 400 metres) and the Al-Mazayen, with competitors from 9 countries led by falconers from the Gulf Cooperation Council states, alongside participants from Italy, Ireland and Syria.[1]

The total value of the festival's prizes grew from more than SAR 17 million at the beginning of 2019 to more than SAR 38 million in 2025, passing through stages of more than SAR 21 million at the end of 2019, SAR 23 million in 2020, SAR 25 million in 2021, SAR 29 million in 2022, SAR 33 million in 2023, and SAR 36 million in 2024.[4]

The number of participating falcons grew from 1,723 falcons at the festival held at the beginning of 2019 to 3,322 falcons in 2024, the largest figure since the festival began, through stages of 2,355 falcons at the end of 2019, 2,205 falcons in 2020, 2,110 falcons in 2021, 2,256 falcons in 2022 and 2,654 falcons in 2023.[4]

The festival also recorded three Guinness World Records for the largest number of falcons participating in a single event, which established it as an international destination attracting falconers from the Gulf and the world.[4]

Among the most prominent falconry events in the Kingdom is the International Falcon Breeders Auction, in which the price of the most expensive falcon reached SAR 1.75 million.[6]

The auction attracted more than 25 leading farms from 14 countries, and more than 800 falcons were sold in it for about SAR 10 million.[6]

The Royal Commission for AlUla and the Saudi Falcons Club announced the launch of the first edition of the AlUla Falcons Cup competition, held from 28 December 2023 to 5 January 2024 in Mughayra Village for Authentic Sports in AlUla, and allocated it financial prizes reaching SAR 60 million, the largest ever in the history of falcon races.[5]

In the Eastern Province, the falcons market in Hafr Al-Batin Governorate is the largest gathering of falconry enthusiasts in the Gulf and the Middle East; it contains more than 1,500 birds in one location and more than 20 mews, while the number of falconers there exceeds 1,000.[3]

In the Northern Borders Region, the falcons festival in Turaif Governorate hosts annually hundreds of falconers and thousands of visitors, with the participation of more than a thousand falcons in various competitive rounds, along with the documentation and registration of falcons through the "Fatri" platform, the organisation of sale and purchase operations, and contributing to the preservation of breeds.[9]

The Heritage Commission and the Saudi Falcons Club signed on 10 Muharram 1446 AH, corresponding to 16 July 2024, a memorandum of understanding at the Heritage Commission's headquarters in Al-Murabba district in Riyadh, on strengthening cooperation in areas of common interest, stemming from the interest of both the commission and the club in the governance of the heritage sector in the Kingdom and the preservation and documentation of the falconry heritage, in pursuit of the sustainability of the national heritage portfolio.[7]

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranked first among the countries of the world in the number of falconry enthusiasts, as they constitute the largest proportion of falconry enthusiasts worldwide.[8]

Q: When was falconry inscribed on the UNESCO list? A: Since 2010, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.[1]

Q: What is the largest gathering of falcons in the world and where is it held? A: The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, which the Saudi Falcons Club organises annually at its headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh.[1]

Q: How much were the prizes of the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in its latest edition? A: They exceeded SAR 38 million, distributed over 1,012 prizes in 139 rounds.[1][4]

Q: What is the largest competition in terms of prize value in the history of falcon races? A: The AlUla Falcons Cup, with total prizes reaching SAR 60 million in its first edition.[5]

Q: Where is the largest gathering of falconry enthusiasts in the Gulf and the Middle East? A: The falcons market in Hafr Al-Batin Governorate, with more than 1,500 birds and more than 1,000 falconers.[3]

The falconry heritage continues its presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia among festivals, markets, auctions and official documentation.[1][7] Related topics on the platform are Saudi Ardah and the Great Al-Nafud Desert.