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Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, the 4th edition of the International Festival of Falconry (IFF 2017) will be inaugurated in Abu Dhabi on Monday, December 4th. Over 700 falconers, experts and researchers, representatives from old clubs, cooperative societies and international falconry schools from more than 90 countries across the world will participate in the festival.
His Excellency Majed Ali Al Mansouri, Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee and Executive Director of the Emirates Falconers Club said that the festival, which will take place from December 4th until December 9th, is the continuation of the first International Festival of Falconry which was inaugurated by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, in December 1976 in order to conserve falconry heritage and to highlight the UAE’s efforts in the protection of the environment.
"It is a great opportunity to organize the fourth edition of the International Festival of Falconry as we come closer to the ‘Year of Zayed,’” said Al Mansouri.
“This year’s festival is distinguished from others through the great importance given to young falconers, as it has attracted more than 250 youth falconers. Also attending are 27 falconers and researchers who witnessed the festival since its first edition, 40 years ago, providing a chance to reflect from the past and present to plan for the future.”
The festival will begin with events at the Sahrawi camp for falconers at the Telal Resort in Remah, from December 4th to 6th, where the falconers will spend time with their birds in an ideal environment for falconry, as well as attend organized sessions at the International Falconry Conference during the camp and participate in discussions and workshops on falconry heritage.
And from December 8th to 9th the festival events will take place at Khalifa Park in Abu Dhabi city, with activities open to the general public and families. Visitors will get a chance to tour the exhibition, which includes more than 100 photos taken from the first edition of the festival, hunting birds and houbara birds, and to identify the different breeds of the Arab Saluki dogs that have been accompanying the falconers in hunting for centuries.
The festival will also include many tents and exhibitions of the participating countries that will draw crowds, market and heritage arena displays, in addition to a series of educational events and a variety of children and students activities.
The festival, organized by the Emirates Falconers Club, highlights the UAE’s efforts in promoting the Intangible Cultural Heritage of falconry of the UAE and worldwide as well as the successful inscription in the representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the UNESCO in 2010.
The festival also presents the UAE as a modern state that has succeeded in merging sophisticated information technology with old traditions and culture. It also promotes Abu Dhabi as a unique tourist destination not only in the UAE or the Gulf region but also globally.
Emirati falconers will have the chance to explore the different cultures of participating countries in an environment that encourages interacting with people of various cultures and backgrounds, falconry organisations and individuals so as to support, preserve and develop this heritage.
With the participation of falconers, experts, researchers, and international delegates from countries from across the world along with UNESCO representatives, and the relevant organisations concerned with preservation of falconry heritage and conservation of the environment – this festival is by far the largest of its kind worldwide in the field of falconry and its heritage.
The festival also attracts the Arab and international media, which reflects global confidence in the efficiency and ability of the UAE to organize some of the most important international events.
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