RIYADH: Organizers of a major Saudi Arabian falconry festival are hoping the event will help put one of the Kingdom’s most ancient pursuits under the spotlight.
Thousands of enthusiasts from throughout the Middle East and around the world are expected to flock to the King Abdul Aziz Falconry Festival, which starts on Jan. 25 in the town of Malham, north of Riyadh.
The gathering, one of the biggest of its kind in the Kingdom, is being organized by the Saudi Falcons Club as a celebration of the country’s cultural past.
A cash pot of prizes valued at more than SR17 million ($4.6 million) will be up for grabs during the festival, which runs until Feb. 3.
The Saudi Falcons Club is billing the event as providing a “cultural and economic hub” for falconry fans from around the globe. Competitions, exhibitions, theater entertainment and residential camps will be among the attractions aimed at raising awareness of the pastime and its importance to Saudi heritage.
Falcon races will be held in the main festival arena throughout the gathering, and there will also be a falcon beauty contest.
A heritage museum will use interactive displays to explain the history of falconry in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, including traditional training and hunting techniques. A contemporary art exhibition on falconry hunting and breeding down the ages, will also be housed in the museum.
A cultural village, inspired by the city of Riyadh in the 1950s, will be another festival attraction, and visitors will also be able to enjoy cultural entertainment at the site’s 2,800-seat theater.
Children will be able to take part in falconry-related activities at a special education center, where they will get hands-on experience of the birds of prey.
Falconers can register to take part in festival contests in Jeddah, Tabuk, Hafar Al-Batin and Arar, in addition to the main registration site in Riyadh.
A photographic competition with prizes totaling SR100,000 is also being run as part of the festival.
Falconry festival puts old Saudi tradition under spotlight
Falconry festival puts old Saudi tradition under spotlight
Foreign ministers chair Saudi-Omani coordination council meeting in Muscat
MUSCAT: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi on Monday.
They reviewed bilateral relations between their nations and ways to enhance and develop them across various fields. Additionally, they discussed regional and international developments.
The ministers co-chaired the third meeting of the Saudi-Omani Coordination Council in the Omani capital, Muscat, with the participation of the heads of the Council’s subsidiary committees and the two heads of the Council’s General Secretariat teams.
The meeting comes as an affirmation of the keenness of Saudi and Omani leaders to strengthen ties and advance them toward greater prosperity for both nations.
In his remarks during the meeting, Prince Faisal affirmed that gathering builds on the previous council meeting, held last year in AlUla, and on its positive and fruitful outcomes within the framework of the approved recommendations and initiatives.
He stressed the importance of continuing the work of the council’s subsidiary committees to complete the necessary procedures to implement the remaining initiatives, and of the General Secretariat’s role in follow-up and in addressing any challenges that may hinder implementation.
He also underscored the importance of developing and enhancing trade relations, stimulating investment, and strengthening cooperation between the public and private sectors.
He also praised the ongoing work to establish and launch the Coordination Council’s electronic platform, which aims to connect all committee work and initiatives to facilitate follow-up on the Council’s progress.
Al-Busaidi affirmed in his remarks the qualitative progress in relations between the two countries and the notable development witnessed across numerous sectors toward achieving economic integration and enhancing intra-trade and joint investments.
The Omani foreign minister also highlighted deeper cooperation in the security and judicial fields, as well as the cultural and tourism sectors, noting the advanced and continuous political cooperation, consultation, and coordination on regional and international issues.
