King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2023 enters Guinness Records as largest falconry competition globally

RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2023 has set a new world record by entering in the Guinness World Records for the third time in its history, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

It is now recognized as the largest falconry competition in the world, with 2,654 falcons participating.

The festival was held between Nov. 28 and Dec. 14 and was organized by the Saudi Falcons Club at its headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh.

The accomplishment stands as a testament to the steadfast backing of the Saudi leadership in safeguarding the Kingdom’s cultural and civilizational heritage.

In its inaugural year, the festival secured a Guinness World Record with 1,723 falcons, and in the following year in 2019, it repeated this feat by including 2,350 falcons.

The festival drew participation from a gathering of falconers hailing from the Kingdom, Gulf countries, and across the globe and competed for the festival’s awards over 17 days, where they vied in the Al-Mazayen and Al-Milwah competitions, with prizes exceeding SR33.6 million ($1.819 million).

As part of ongoing efforts to enhance the ancient falconry heritage in the Kingdom, the Saudi Falcons Club is partnering with the Royal Commission for AlUla Governorate to organize the first edition of the AlUla Falconry Cup 2023.

The competition will be held in AlUla Governorate from Dec. 28 to Jan. 5, with prizes worth up to SR60 million in the Al-Milwah and Al-Mazayen competitions. These represent the largest financial prizes ever in the history of falconry competitions in the world.