King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2025 Concludes with 3,536 Falcons Participating
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA, January 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2025 has concluded after 17 days of competitions held at the Saudi Falcons Club headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh. A total of 3,536 falcons were registered across the Al-Melwah and Mazayen contests, competing for prizes exceeding SAR 38 million. The festival also set a new world record for the number of participating falcons, surpassing its previous benchmark after earlier receiving three Guinness World Records certificates related to participation figures.
The festival staged 142 rounds across its two competitions, including nine rounds dedicated to Mazayen, which focuses on selecting the most beautiful falcons. On the final day, winners were crowned in the “King’s Sword” and “King’s Shalfa” rounds of the Al-Melwah competition—exclusive rounds reserved for top performers in the final heats—featuring high-caliber competition among the participating elite falconers.
Talal Al-Shamaisi, CEO of the Saudi Falcons Club, said the festival’s strong local and international turnout reflects the unlimited support and attention the falconry sector receives from the wise leadership—may God support it—aimed at preserving the heritage of falconry, expanding participation in the traditional pursuit, and instilling environmental and social values. He added that the festival seeks to bring falconers from around the world under one umbrella, reinforcing the Kingdom’s standing as a global home for falcons and falconers.
Al-Shamaisi noted that the festival—the world’s largest gathering of falcons—introduced notable competition enhancements this year, including the first-ever participation of Mongolian falcons through two dedicated Nova Falcon rounds and an additional round allocated exclusively to them. He explained that the move reflects the club’s commitment to evolving competition formats and accommodating new falcon types, diversifying rounds and raising the level of competition. The additions, he said, provided a qualitative boost to the Al-Melwah competition, which includes locally bred falcons as well as falcons from the international auction of breeding farms, with dedicated rounds designed to ensure fair competition.
He added that the festival also introduced a Schools Round for the first time, alongside the “Falconer of the Future” round, to pass the identity and heritage on to younger generations. A women’s round was also introduced, while women were additionally able to compete in open rounds, as part of an approach aimed at broadening community participation and enabling wider segments to take part.
The Saudi Falcons Club has also announced its 2026 events calendar, starting with the International Falcon Breeders Auction from August 5 to 25, followed by the Saudi International Falcons and Hunting Exhibition from October 1 to 10, 2026. The Al-Melwah Race will run concurrently from October 4 to 9, while the Saudi Falcons Club Auction will receive locally sourced “trap” falcons from October 1 to November 30. The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2026 is set to begin on December 25 and will run through January 10, 2027.
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