• A Saudi man looks at his falcon during the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
    A Saudi man looks at his falcon during the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
  • A hunter uses a fake bird to lure a falcon during the Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
    A hunter uses a fake bird to lure a falcon during the Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
  • Saudi men look at the falcon as it flies during the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
    Saudi men look at the falcon as it flies during the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
  • A Saudi man holds his falcon during the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
    A Saudi man holds his falcon during the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
  • A Saudi man holds his falcon during the Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
    A Saudi man holds his falcon during the Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
  • A falcon flies during the Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
    A falcon flies during the Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters

Record-breaking turnout at King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in Saudi Arabia - in pictures


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The second King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival set a new Guinness World Record with 2,350 birds participating in the competition, beating the previous record of 1,723.

The event, held in Malham, a town just north of Riyadh, attracted thousands of enthusiasts and elite handlers from across Saudi Arabia, the Gulf region and internationally.

Emirati handlers took the top positions in the international open categories for the second time, repeating their efforts in the first festival, which was held in February 2019.

The festival prize cash pot totalled $5 million (Dh18,400,000).