Falcon merchants and breeders were bidding huge sums at an auction in Abu Dhabi on Sunday evening, with birds of prey being bought for hundreds of thousands of dirhams.
Bids were being placed on dozens of falcons at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, before this year's Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition, which begins on August 28. The highest price was fetched by a Pure Gyr falcon, which was bought for Dh255,000. The bird weighed over 2kg and was from a UAE government farm.
"You can see today how happy a falconer is when he finds his bird and buys it," said Salman Albalooshi from Bahrain, who made the winning bid on the falcon. "Sometimes he doesn't even consider the price, especially if there are rounds and competitions ahead of him and support for the purchase."
Mr Albalooshi has a falcon farm in Dubai, and says that falconry unites the Gulf. "This is our heritage, a Gulf heritage that no two people, rulers and people alike, would dispute. And we always preserve this heritage, we love it and support it," he said.
For bidder Ammar bin Humaid Al Marri, falcons are an unbridled passion. His Instagram account focusing on falcons has more than 150,000 followers. He told The National before the auction started on Sunday that he was looking to find a prized bird to add to his collection.
When asked how many falcons he owns, he laughed before saying: "I prefer not to say". His upkeep of this Emirati tradition is supported by government initiatives, which keep the tradition alive.
"I will participate and bid, and if we find the right one, God willing, we will take it," he said. "The exhibition, of course, includes the elite of falcons."
Fellow enthusiast Mansoor Mohammed said he was willing to spend up to Dh30,000 on a falcon on Sunday, but admitted they will likely fetch much higher prices.
Taking flight
There were seven birds up for grabs at Sunday night's auction. Jaber Battal Al Marar is a member of the committee which selects the falcons that are worthy of inclusion.
Falcons are selected by their size, weight and their feathers. There are typically between 30 to 40 falcons put forward, which are then whittled down to the select few who make the auction.
Mr Al Marrar is teaching his 13-year-old son all about falconry to keep the tradition alive. "This heritage is very important for all, not for only for me. You will see that next year a new generation will be coming to this auction," he said.
A long tradition
For 4,000 years, Bedouin in the UAE and the wider Arabian Peninsula have practised falconry as a form of hunting. It remains a popular sport and pastime and is a vital feature of the UAE’s identity.
In 2023, a prized falcon fetched Dh600,000 at an auction held during the exhibition. A year earlier, a bidder spent Dh1.01 million for a Pure Gyr American ultra-white falcon.
In addition to in-person falcon auctions, a secure online platform will be launched on the opening day of the exhibition. The move aims to boost participation from local and international bidders.
The exhibition is to feature events displaying falconry, hunting, equestrian sports and fishing, as well as promoting environmental preservation and the UAE's culture.
