The story
King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival in Riyadh
The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, organized by the Saudi Falcons Club, is described in regional media as the world's largest falconry festival, held in the desert outside Riyadh each winter. It combines high-stakes falcon racing and hunting competitions, carrying substantial prize purses, with cultural programming celebrating Saudi and Gulf falconry heritage.
Long before falconry became a competitive sport with prize purses and timed courses, Bedouin communities across the Arabian Peninsula relied on trained falcons for practical hunting, a skill passed down through generations of desert life where the birds' speed and precision made them valuable partners in catching game across open terrain.