SAUDI RARE FALCON SOLD FOR OVER $71,000 DURING AUCTION

Tue 10 August 2021:

During the second night of the direct auction held at the Saudi Falcons Club (SFC) in Malham, north of Riyadh, a rare falcon was sold for a record $71,994 (270,000 Saudi riyals).

Falconry has long been an important aspect of the cultural desert legacy of Arabs in Saudi Arabia and neighboring nations.

The falcon is the most expensive bred by Saudi breeders auctioned, according to the International Falcon Breeders Auction (IFBA).

“The falcon, bred at Al-Aradi’s Farm in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has seen intense competition at the occasion. It weighs 1,105 grams, is 17 and a half inches long, and 16 and three-quarters inches wide,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The auction was awarded to the Saudi falconer Moteb Munir Al-Ayafi for $71,994 (270,000 Saudi riyals), who said that he will call it “Raghwan,” and that he aims to participate in (Al-Mazayen competitions for local breeding) “falcon beauty pageant”, which gives the owner of the most beautiful falcon a prize of SR 300,000.

“Al-Ayafi said that he inherited the profession of falconry from his family, adding that he has won championships in Horse Beauty contests, and seeks to compete in the 4th edition of King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, which is the largest event of its kind and has set a world record in the Guinness World Records twice in a row,” SPA reported.

Falcons, which can reach speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour), are considered endangered on a global scale. The sale, capture, breeding, and killing of these animals are all governed by different laws in different countries.

Falcon owners in the Gulf frequently travel with their birds inside plane cabins to countries such as Pakistan, Morocco, and Central Asia during the winter months in search of hunting possibilities.

The History of Falconry in Saudi Arabia

Hunting with falcons has been an integral part of Bedouin history on the Arabian Peninsula for 10,000 years — archaeologists have even uncovered evidence of the birds among the remains of the Neolithic Al-Magar civilization found in the region.

Although falcons were vital for survival in the harsh desert climates, hunting has been banned across much of the desert region since 1975. But the pageantry continues; today, “the sport of kings” is a widely popular hobby throughout the Gulf region. And while many associate falconry with the region’s wealthy royals and elite, it continues to play a major role in the fabric of local Saudi life. The 2019 installment of the annual King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, held near Riyadh in December, even earned a Guinness World Records title, with a staggering 2,350 falcons in attendance.

Why is owning a falcon such a status symbol? “In many parts of the world, if someone owns a horse, it’s prestigious — that’s how people see falcons here,” says Luluah Alrasheed, a tour guide at Shamal. “Falconry is very important here. It’s a main attraction in Saudi Arabia because of its tradition.”

PHOTOS: SPA

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