Falcon training: A profession that makes millions of dollars in the Middle East

The first prize for a falconry competition in the United Arab Emirates can be up to 7 million USD, according to Business Insider.

Every winter morning, Hamad Al-Falasi and his team wake up before dawn and drive their dusty four-wheel-drive vehicles into the harsh Arabian desert. Before the Sun rose over the golden dunes, the men had finished sipping their hot coffee and then, with a small army of falcons, began the difficult training process.

There are dozens of different species of falcon - chestnut brown and white-spotted Peregrines , silver Gyrfalcons with black and blue-gray spots, and many other birds bred for speed or fighting ability. .

Falcon training is a prestigious profession in the UAE. (Photo: Business Insider).

Mr Al-Falasi is the head coach of the Abu Dhabi Falconry Club (ADFC) - a government-owned organization started in 2013 that specializes in falconry training in the UAE. For a long time, falcons have appeared and existed in world historical culture, especially as a central element of Middle Eastern culture.

The Bedouin Arabs , nomadic people of the region, have captured migrating falcons for thousands of years and trained them to hunt in the desert, foraging for typical foods such as large birds. called houbara, rabbits, pigeons and even antelopes.

Emiratis have abandoned their nomadic life for the modern lifestyle of Dubai and Abu Dhabi but as the country and its people have become increasingly wealthy in recent decades, the falcons are once again is popular.

Falconry competitions have become a popular activity in the UAE after the Crown Prince of Dubai introduced the sport in the early 2000s and hunting was banned to protect wildlife. have ability to be extinct. Mr. Al-Falasi and the club's falconry training team will compete for the President's Cup in a competition overseen by the UAE's rulers with prizes worth up to $7.35 million and 73 pieces. car.

Hamad Al-Falasi has been training falcons for a long time. This skill is often hereditary. Emiratis often teach their children how to care for the birds as a means of instilling discipline and knowledge of the desert. (Photo: Business Insider).

"I started training falcons when I was 12 years old. I do this job because my father also did it ," Saeed Al-Hamli, ADFC's administrative manager, told reporters while petting a hybrid falcon. newly purchased gyr-peregrine. (Photo: Business Insider).

Falcons will usually come out once at dawn and once in the evening during hunting season as well as to race for their trainers. (Photo: Business Insider).

Mr. Al-Falasi only owns one falcon, but he trains dozens for the club's busy members. More than half of its 66 members are Muslim or royal, but ADFC has worked to expand membership in the community with clinics and introductory classes open to school children. (Photo: Business Insider).

Some falcons are trained to hunt, while others are trained to race. There are different modes for each type of bird to train stamina, energy and muscle mass. The racing falcon is trained like a sprinter, while the hunting falcon is trained like a long-distance runner. (Photo: Business Insider).

UAE officials have banned hunting after falconers have largely focused on houbara - a turkey-sized desert bird prized for its meat. The strongest falcons continue to hunt. The best places to hunt are Pakistan, Libya, Sudan and Iraq, which Al-Hamli calls "paradise for falcons." However, due to conflict, most falconers focus on hunting in Morocco, Jordan and Saudi Arabia these days. (Photo: Business Insider).

"Not much hunting is allowed anymore, but we want falcons to remain part of the culture. That's why we encourage the race ," Mr. Al-Hamli said. Trainers start in the morning with coffee or tea. (Photo: Business Insider).

The falcon race takes place seasonally, each season from October to March of the following year, with a total of 9 races, culminating in the President's Cup. (Photo: Business Insider).

Falcon ownership has skyrocketed in the UAE and while falcon trainers are typically men, a section of women began joining ADFC in the Emirate of Ayesha Al-Mansoori and South African falconer Angelique Engels from 2015. 2016. By 2018, Melodiya Nyela Fampo Magno - a Filipino veterinarian working for the royal family - won about 2,700 USD when participating in the President's Cup. (Photo: Business Insider).

Rising demand in the Middle East also brings many negative impacts. Falcon traders in Pakistan, Russia and elsewhere are capturing migratory falcons to sell to wealthy Arabs. The Saker falcon, a favorite species of the Arabs, is threatened with extinction due to habitat degradation and booming smuggling. Other falcon species are also declining in the wild. (Photo: Business Insider).