People & Lifestyle

Falcons sink their talons into both hearts and wallets

From ancient hunting companions to modern status symbols, the birds of prey are serious business in the Middle East

September 8, 2024, 6:32 AM

Competitor AD Falcons swept the board at the annual Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition Falcon Beauty Contest this week.

A judging panel of local and international experts were tasked with selecting the winners from 10 falcons on display.

One bird, named Eliasat, was said to have “captivated the judges with its exceptional features, striking plumage and flawless presentation”.

The falcons were judged on various criteria, including weight and body measurements, feather symmetry and colour, head and body details, overall aesthetic appearance and health.

But these falcons are more than just a pretty face. They’re big business.

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At the International Falcon Breeders Auction last month, held at the Malham headquarters of the Saudi Falcons Club, a male ultra white gyrfalcon from the Pacific Northwest Falcons farm in the US sold for SAR400,000 ($106,000).

But even that pales somewhat into insignificance when compared with the peregrine falcon known locally as “Abhuria”, which sold at public auction in the Libyan city of Musaed in 2022 for almost $1 million.

“People are paying more every year,” says Laith Al Hammadeh, of Al Neyadi Falcons, who had 70 falcons at the Abu Dhabi show. “They follow the blood line, look at the pedigree of the family, who is the father and grandfather.”

$16 million

Prize fund at this year’s AlUla Falcon Cup

It’s also about the size, weight, body strength, wings, nostrils, ankles, colours and talons.

“Every falconer has a different kind of falcon he likes,” says Omar Buhamood from Nasseem BH Falcon Centre, who has brought 30 falcons over from the company’s base in the Netherlands.

It is no wonder the stalls and stands at the exhibition are abuzz with activity – falconry has long held a revered place in the cultural heritage of the Arab world.

Animal, Bird, Vulture — Falcons are seen as a status symbol and can change hands for hundreds of thousands of dollars

Thousands of years ago, falconry served as a means of survival. Bedouins in the deserts trapped peregrines and trained the birds to hunt as an efficient way of providing food for themselves and their families.

It has since been transformed from hunting for sustenance to a multimillion-dollar sport industry.

In 2002 Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, son and heir of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, introduced the sport of falcon racing to the Gulf.

The world record for prize money at a falcon racing tournament is $15,998,143 and was achieved by the Royal Commission for AlUla during the AlUla Falcon Cup and awarded on January 5 this year.

But ownership comes with a cost. Food for the fastest creatures in the world can run into the thousands of dirhams per month for one bird, while vitamins, supplements and electrolytes can add another few thousand to the monthly bill, says Ahmed Khalifa, a doctor with UAE-based F3 Falcon for Animal and Birds.

Buhamood says the flight alone to export his falcons from Europe to the UAE cost €4,000 ($4,437).

He wasn’t as fortunate as an unnamed Saudi Prince who reportedly bought out an entire plane earlier this year to fly his falcons to a part of the kingdom where hunting is still allowed. Falcons, equipped with individual passports, occupied mostly business or first class.

According to a study last year in Biological Conservation, the UAE accounts for four in 10 of global live raptor imports.

In the last three years, Etihad Airways has flown almost 2,000 falcons, according to John O’Grady, a manager at Etihad Cargo. Major source destinations include Barcelona, London, Madrid and Munich.

In competition, falcons are judged on criteria such as plumage, head and body details, and health

Falcons are also seen as something of a status symbol.

In 2023 Bentley’s bespoke team, Mulliner, launched a falconry kit, designed to fit inside the rear of the Bentley Bentayga, complete with compartments to hold GPS bird tracking units and a removable perch and tether that fits on the central armrest inside the car – all for the cool price of $260,000.

Emirati artist Haya Al Mansoor says she is regularly approached by owners looking for paintings with their falcons. She charges in the region of AED3,000 for her paintings but admits some artists charge upwards of AED30,000.

“It’s very popular here,” she says. “It’s part of our traditions, part of the spirit of the UAE.”