MAKKAH: A major international exhibition and auction showcasing Saudi Arabia’s falconry and hunting cultural heritage is set to take place in the Kingdom.
The fourth Saudi International Falcons and Hunting Exhibition, running from Thursday until Sept. 3, is expected to attract falcon enthusiasts from around the world.
The Saudi Falcons Club will be hosting the event at its headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh, where visitors will be able to see displays, accessories, and supplies associated with falconry, related weaponry, and hunting.
SFC spokesman Walid Al-Taweel told Arab News that 25 pavilions would be exhibiting at the event that would also include awareness and training seminars and workshops on sustainable hunting, and an international auction of falcon production farms.
The largest exhibition of its kind in the Kingdom, the gathering offers a platform for acquiring hunting weapons, ammunition, and firearms licenses, supported by a club app.
Al-Taweel pointed out that the falcon sale was the largest global auction for the birds of prey and had attracted leading production centers and farms from the US, Germany, Spain, and 14 other countries.
Auction nights will be televised, and fans will also be able to follow events on the club’s social media platforms.
Pavilion displays will include arms companies, a rare weapons auction, global falcon production centers, information on hunting trips and specially adapted cars, art shows, a digital museum, falconry for children and women, and an innovation center showcasing the industry’s latest technologies.
In addition, the SFC will stage a drawing competition for fine arts with prizes totaling SR120,000 ($32,000). Eighteen artists will draw live in public with their works judged in the categories of abstract, surrealism, realism using a knife, collage with multiple materials, sculpture, and formation using the Arabic alphabet. A wild culinary arts competition and photographic contest will also be held, along with an international festival of kites.
The event site houses shooting ranges, food and public seating areas, and parking for more than 15,000 vehicles.
Tickets can be purchased through Virgin Megastore and Platinumlist websites, and from club offices in Malham during the exhibition.
