ABU DHABI // A knife sporting 10,000-year-old mammoth ivory will provide a slice of prehistoric glamour for the 100,000 people expected to attend this week's Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition.
The unique weapon, which costs Dh50,000, is one of many high-end knives that will be showcased at the exhibition centre by Tamreen Sports. Others include five knives themed around the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, at Dh70,000 each, and 100 knives featuring camel bone handles, at Dh1,300 each.
Mohammed Alamiri, Tamreen's manager and a knife collector, said the company preferred using mammoth ivory over elephant ivory.
"Elephants are endangered, but mammoths are already extinct. The process of preparing fossils and fossilised mammoth teeth is difficult, but it adds a lot of beauty."
The mammoth ivory on the B12 Falcon knife - which is used to depict a falcon - was found in Siberia and Alaska, on land and in the sea.
Each of the five mosque-themed knives, which took eight months to make, features a hand-engraved portrait of the mosque on one side and the mosque's floral theme, inlaid with gold and diamond button locks, on the other. The engraving took more than 200 hours.
A renowned samurai sword maker in Siki, Japan, hand-ground the blades.
All the knives - including the E10-UAE camel handled edition - were crafted by the US knife manufacturer William Henry Studio.
"The camel is a big part of our heritage," said Mr Alamiri. "It was the first time William Henry ever made a knife out of camel bone. We're starting out with 100 pieces, each worth Dh1,300.
"These items are exclusive to whoever owns them and, to the owners, they represent what they like about being a hunter. All these knives are functional and carry a lifetime warranty, certificate of authenticity and serial number."
Mr Alamiri's company will also showcase its Abu Dhabi manufactured Batik knives and hold knife-making and knife-testing shows.
Adihex, the region's largest international hunting and equestrian exhibition, opens tomorrow and closes on Saturday evening.
Visitors can take part in shows, competitions and exhibitions showcasing Emirati culture; ranging from Emirati horsemanship to a saluki beauty competition.
There will be more than 600 international exhibitors from 40 countries with stalls for hunting tourism, archery, equestrian, falconry, weaponry, sports, vehicles, and arts and crafts, as well as veterinary and pharmaceutical stalls.
Prizes worth Dh500,000 will be up for grabs in competitions featuring Arabic coffee brewing, poetry, salukis, falcons, painting and photography. A further Dh25,000, 10 iPhones and 10 iPads can also be won in a raffle.
Programme details for the event being held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre were released yesterday.
Mohammed Al Mazrouei, the Adihex organising committee chairman, said previous editions had gained international recognition.
"In the UAE, we continuously strive to create platforms that enable us to showcase the unique culture of this beautiful country, in distinctive ways, to a global audience," he said.
Abu Dhabi's heritage festivals, he said, reflected "the great keenness of the UAE in reviving heritage and preserving the symbols of deep-rooted Arab culture that the people of this region have associated with since ancient times".
Abdulla Al Qubaisi, the Adihex director, said the exhibition would showcase the culture and heritage that had shaped the Arab persona.
"Exhibitors will incorporate old and new, in an attempt to support the exhibition's objective in supporting, promoting and maintaining heritage, traditions and authentic values," he said.
The Emirati self-titled "Bedouin horsemaster", Ali Al Ameri, and his son, Suhail, 23, will perform horse tricks and the Abu Dhabi Police will hold a sniffer dog demonstration.
Al Ain Zoo will also take part, with staff educating visitors about desert wildlife and hosting shows featuring parrots and other birds.
For details on weapon purchasing procedures and more information on Adihex visit www.adihex.net.
