RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2023, which runs until Dec. 14 at the Saudi Falcons Club in Malham, north of Riyadh, has developed significantly this year — particularly the Al-Milwah competition for international falconers, which includes new rounds and an expanded pool of winners.
The total prize money on offer at the festival is more than SR33.6 million ($8.96 million), according to a press release.
The festival is accepting applications from international falconers for the qualifying rounds of the 400-meter Al-Milwah competition until Dec. 5.
Registration takes place at the SFC headquarters from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Falconry as a traditional sport has become embedded in various cultures worldwide, the result of being practiced globally for 4,000 years. It is a complex and immersive sport, yet it is not indigenous to one community, people, or territory.
In Dec. 2016, and under the Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, UNESCO adopted falconry as a living human heritage.
King Abdulaziz festival sees significant development
https://arab.news/cyzvq
King Abdulaziz festival sees significant development
- The total prize money on offer at the festival is more than SR33.6 million
- Falconry as a traditional sport has become embedded in various cultures worldwide
Saudi Arabia welcomes ceasefire agreement between Syrian Democratic Forces and Syria state
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has welcomed an agreement between the Syrian state and Syrian Democratic Forces.
In a foreign ministry statement early on Monday, the Kingdom said it had welcomed an deal between Damascus and Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces that was announced by the Syrian government on Sunday.
The agreement entails merging all SDF forces into the defense and interior ministries and means that Kurdish forces will redeploy to east of the Euphrates river.
The 14-point deal would also see the immediate administrative and military handover of Deir Ezzor and Raqqa governorates.
The Syrian state would regain control of all border crossings, oil fields, and gas fields in the region, with protection secured by regular forces to ensure the return of resources to the Syrian government, while considering the special case of Kurdish areas, the state news agency SANA reported.
The ceasefire comes after intense fighting between the SDF and government troops in Aleppo. But SDF troops have now pulled back from there and the Syrian army now controls most areas east of Aleppo.
The Saudi foreign ministry statement also thanked the US for the agreement. Washington is believed to have supported brokering the ceasefire between allies SDF and the Syrian government, who they have also backed diplomatically since the fall of long-time dictator Bashar Assad.
The Syrian state announced on Friday a raft of new directives to recognize Syrian Kurds, including making their language official and bolstering other rights for the minority group.
