RIYADH: A Bahraini falconer family has praised the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in Saudi Arabia as a “beloved” event in the sport’s calendar. The festival is organized by the Saudi Falcons Club at its headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh, until Dec. 14, with elite falconers joining from the Kingdom, Gulf and around the world.

Bahraini falconer Mohammed Abdulwahab Al-Hajiri said that the festival holds a special place for his family, adding that he and his siblings have attended the event since its first edition, and have seen its development firsthand. This year, the family brought 45 falcons to the festival.

The festival is now a beloved event for all falconers, he said, praising the efforts of the Saudi Falcons Club and the support and services it provides to visitors at the festival.

Al-Hajiri competed in the Shaheen Farkh and Shaheen Qirnas categories of the Shaheen competitions for international professionals. He said: “We won first and second places in the Shaheen Farkh category. We also won second place in the Shaheen Qirnas category, and thankfully, we haven’t conceded the Shaheen category since the second edition.”