The 2024 King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival came to an end on Thursday, with the biggest prize pool in the event’s history, totaling over SR36 million ($9.6 million). 1,032 falconers participated in the festival, which started on December 3 and was hosted by the Saudi Falcons Club at its headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh. Of them, 160 were from outside the Kingdom. They brought 3,322 birds and represented nine countries: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Syria, Italy, and Ireland. There were 49 juvenile falconers in a youth section.
Two rounds of the King’s Sword, the hardest and most lucrative part of the Melwah competition, with SR925,000 prize pools for each round, marked the festival’s conclusion. Barghash Al-Mansouri, who took first place in the Shaheen and Hur categories, claimed that his falcon SH13 had done a remarkable job. He claimed that although the bird is very strong, unfavorable wind conditions can have an impact. However, the day’s circumstances were ideal, allowing it to remain stable and function at its peak.
He went on to say that he had anticipated that Fahd Al-Mansouri’s falcon, Shama, would win first place, but it came in second. Noting that the competition gets better every year, he congratulated all the winners and commended the club for its outstanding work in putting the festival together.
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