Riyadh Hosts the World’s Largest Falconry Festival This Year
Beneath the vast open skies north of Riyadh, a timeless tradition meets global spectacle. The 2025 King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival has commenced at the Saudi Falcons Club’s Malham facility, cementing its status as the planet’s premier event for the ancient art of falconry. This year’s gathering, already a hive of international activity, celebrates not only sport but a profound cultural heritage deeply rooted in the Arabian Peninsula.
From its opening day on Thursday until January 10, the festival transforms the desert into a competitive arena of breathtaking speed and majestic beauty. The initial heats saw local competitors guiding their prized birds through qualifying rounds in multiple classifications, including Gyr Pure, Peregrine, and Saker falcons, categorized by age as Fledglings (Farkh) and Passage (Qarnas).
A Contest of Speed and Splendor
With an astounding 1,012 prizes worth over SR38 million ($10 million) at stake across 139 rounds, the stakes are as high as the birds fly. The festival revolves around two majestic disciplines:
- The Milwah: A heart-pounding lure race over 400 meters, testing the pure speed and training of the falcons. Competition is tiered across four skill levels—Owners, Amateurs, Professionals, and Elite—with separate categories for Saudi and international handlers.
- The Mazayen: An exquisite beauty contest where birds are judged against exacting aesthetic criteria, from plumage and physique to bearing and grace.
A Truly Global Gathering
The call of the festival has echoed far beyond Saudi borders, drawing falconers from nine nations, including GCC neighbors, Italy, Ireland, and Syria. This international convergence underscores the event’s unique prestige. Its scale is officially recognized, holding three Guinness World Records for the largest falconry event on Earth based on bird participation.
Yet, beyond the records and prizes lies a deeper mission. As Walid Al-Taweel, spokesman for the Saudi Falcons Club, emphasized, the festival is passionately committed to cultivating interest in the sport among the next generation. It serves as a living classroom, where young enthusiasts can witness the deep bond between handler and bird, understand the ethics of conservation, and connect with a defining element of their ancestral heritage.
The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival is more than a competition; it is a vibrant, soaring tribute to a legacy. It is where the silent, swift dive of a falcon captures the spirit of the desert, and where the world gathers to honor a tradition that continues to climb to new heights.
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