Saudi Arabia to hold most expensive falcon award competition at AlUla

Saudi Arabia is set to host the largest awards in the history of international falcon competitions from Dec. 28 to Jan. 5, the official SPA news agency reported on Tuesday.

The Saudi Falcons Club, in partnership with the Royal Commission for AlUla, is preparing to organize the first AlUla Falcon Cup 2023 in the ancient governorate, with awards totaling SR60 million ($16 million).

The AlUla Falcon Cup is an extension of the success of the recently concluded King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, in which the most prominent local and international falconers competed in the awards of the Al-Milwah and Al-Mazayen competitions.

The festival garnered an international achievement by entering the Guinness World Records for the third time in its history as the largest falconry competition in the world in terms of participating falcons. A total of 2,654 falcons from eight countries participated in the event.

The AlUla Falcon Cup’s awards amount to SR60 million and the competition is the largest considering the value of its awards internationally, with selected local and international falconers participating in four tracks in the Al-Milwah and Al-Mazayen competitions.

It comes as part of efforts to promote the legacy of the Kingdom’s falconers, celebrate its authentic culture and activity, raise environmental awareness, protect wildlife, support local falconers and encourage them to develop and sustain their skills.