Gulf falconers visit Al Marzoum reserve in Western Region

Falconers from Qatar and Saudi Arabia met their UAE counterparts for a cultural exchange programme at Al Marzoum reserve. Wam

ABU DHABI // Falconers from Qatar and Saudi Arabia joined traditional bird-of-prey hunters from the UAE for a heritage exchange programme at Al Marzoum reserve in the Western Region.

The reserve is the main destination in the emirates for falconry. It is also a key location for those who work to raise awareness about the sport, preserve the environment, promote the UAE’s heritage, strengthen sustainable hunting and promote breeding of falcon and houbara bustards.

Obaid Khalfan Al Mazrouei, head of heritage sessions on the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee, the authority in charge of the reserve, expressed his pleasure at hosting the falconers from the UAE and abroad.

He said the delegations from Qatar and Saudi Arabia stayed at the reserve for two days.

The reserve has organised about 600 hunting trips since November and released more than 2,000 houbara bustards said Mr Al Mazrouei.

“Falconry is an important part of the nation’s cultural heritage, which teaches great moral values, as well as being an integral part of the UAE’s identity,” Mr Al Mazrouei said. “The reserve also offers falconers the opportunity to practise the sport within the framework of sustainable hunting.”

Al Marzoum reserve is open to Emiratis, residents and tourists throughout the annual hunting season.

The UAE leadership has been working for the past four decades to preserve houbaras by increasing their numbers in the wild and preserving their natural habitats. The relatively rare bird is considered to be a vulnerable species.