Interior Minister Honors King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival Winners

Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Falcons Club, honored the champions of the 2024 King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival during a ceremony in Riyadh on December 24, 2024, awarding the King’s Sword to falconers Barghash Mohammed Al-Mansouri and Faisal Al-Qahtani and presenting the King Abdulaziz Cup to the winners of the festival’s elite rounds. The awards ceremony, reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), marked the culmination of a record-breaking edition of the festival, which ran from December 3 to 19 at the Saudi Falcons Club headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh, and distributed more than SAR36 million in prizes across 138 competition rounds.

The honorees included Barghash Mohammed Al-Mansouri, Amin Abdullah Al-Mallah, Mohammed Hafez Al-Marri, Fahd Mohammed Al-Mansouri, Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Buainain, and Hamid Mohammed Al-Mansouri, alongside winners in the Mazayen competition rounds and the final events for professionals, owners, and amateurs. At the close of the ceremony, the Minister of Interior also recognized the sponsors whose support made the 2024 Saudi Falcons Club season possible. The event drew 1,032 falconers from nine countries — including 160 international participants — who competed with 3,322 falcons, underscoring the festival’s growing stature as a global gathering for the sport of falconry.

Context and Background

How did a traditional desert pursuit become one of the Kingdom’s most prominent international sporting and cultural events? Falconry, known in Arabic as al-qanas, has been practiced on the Arabian Peninsula for millennia, serving as both a practical means of hunting and a cherished expression of Bedouin heritage. The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, organized annually by the Saudi Falcons Club under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, was established to preserve that heritage while projecting it onto the world stage. The festival is named after the Kingdom’s founder, King Abdulaziz Al Saud, reflecting the deep connection between falconry and Saudi national identity.

The 2024 edition was the largest in the festival’s history. According to the Saudi Press Agency, participation spanned Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Syria, Italy, and Ireland — a lineup that illustrates how the event has evolved from a regional competition into a genuinely international meeting point. The presence of European falconers from Italy and Ireland alongside competitors from across the Gulf and the Levant highlights the universal appeal of the sport and the Kingdom’s capacity to convene diverse international communities around shared cultural traditions.

The festival’s venue in Malham, north of Riyadh, hosted 138 rounds across two principal competition categories: Al-Malwah, the timed hunting-style competition in which falcons are judged on speed and precision, and Mazayen, the beauty contest in which birds are evaluated on conformation and plumage. Together, these formats showcase both the athletic capability of the falcons and the expertise of the falconers who train them, reinforcing the festival’s dual role as a sporting contest and a celebration of intangible cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO.

Key Details of the Awards Ceremony

What does it take to earn the King’s Sword at the world’s largest falconry festival? The award represents the highest honor in the competition and is reserved for falconers whose birds demonstrate exceptional performance across the festival’s most demanding rounds. Barghash Mohammed Al-Mansouri and Faisal Al-Qahtani received the King’s Sword, while the King Abdulaziz Cup was presented to winners of the elite rounds, including Barghash Mohammed Al-Mansouri, Amin Abdullah Al-Mallah, Mohammed Hafez Al-Marri, Fahd Mohammed Al-Mansouri, Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Buainain, and Hamid Mohammed Al-Mansouri.

Additional awards recognized victors in the Mazayen competition rounds and the final events for professionals, owners, and amateurs — categories designed to ensure that falconers at every level of experience can compete for meaningful prizes. The distribution of more than SAR36 million in total prize money makes the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival one of the richest traditional sports competitions in the world, a fact that has helped attract top-tier talent from across the region and beyond. The Minister of Interior’s personal participation in the ceremony signals the high official standing the festival enjoys within the Kingdom’s leadership.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, who serves concurrently as Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Falcons Club, closed the ceremony by honoring the sponsors of the 2024 Saudi Falcon Club events. Their contributions — spanning logistics, hospitality, media, and prize funding — enabled the festival to operate at a scale that would have been unthinkable when the event was first conceived. The sponsorship model also reflects the broader Saudi approach of mobilizing public and private resources behind cultural and sporting initiatives that advance national objectives.

International and Regional Impact

Why does a falconry festival in the Saudi desert matter to audiences far beyond the Gulf? The 2024 edition welcomed 160 international participants from nine countries, transforming Malham into a temporary hub of cross-cultural exchange. Falconers from Italy and Ireland competed alongside their Gulf counterparts, sharing techniques and traditions that have developed independently across continents. This exchange enriches the sport globally while positioning Saudi Arabia as a custodian of a heritage practiced worldwide — a role that carries diplomatic as well as cultural weight.

Regional participation from Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman, and Qatar reinforced the festival’s character as a Gulf-wide celebration of shared heritage. Falconry is deeply embedded in the identity of every Gulf state, and the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival provides a neutral, prestigious platform where those common bonds can be expressed through friendly competition. For Saudi Arabia, hosting such an event supports its broader regional leadership role and complements its efforts to deepen people-to-people ties across the Arabian Peninsula. The inclusion of Syrian falconers further demonstrates the festival’s openness to the wider Arab world.

The event also contributes to the Kingdom’s expanding calendar of international sports and cultural attractions, which ranges from Formula 1 and football to art biennials and heritage festivals. Each of these events draws visitors, generates media coverage, and reinforces the message that Saudi Arabia is open for business, tourism, and cultural engagement. Falconry, precisely because it is authentic rather than imported, offers a distinctive entry point for international audiences curious about Saudi heritage.

Economic and Strategic Significance

What economic value flows from a heritage festival with more than a thousand competitors? The SAR36 million prize pool is only the most visible figure. The festival stimulates activity across hospitality, transportation, retail, and media, with participants, officials, and spectators traveling to Riyadh and staying for the duration of the 17-day event. The Saudi Falcons Club’s headquarters in Malham has itself become a specialized venue, hosting auctions, exhibitions, and related events that support a falconry economy encompassing breeding, training, veterinary care, and equipment.

Falconry in Saudi Arabia is not merely a pastime; it is an industry with dedicated auctions where individual birds can command substantial sums. By elevating the festival’s profile and prize money, the Kingdom strengthens the entire value chain associated with the sport. This aligns with the Vision 2030 objective of diversifying the economy and developing sectors — including tourism, entertainment, and cultural industries — that create jobs and attract investment. The festival’s international participants also represent potential repeat visitors and ambassadors for Saudi tourism.

Strategically, the event supports the Kingdom’s soft-power objectives. Cultural diplomacy through shared traditions is often more effective than formal messaging, and falconry provides a universally respected medium. The Minister of Interior’s presence at the awards ceremony, together with the participation of senior officials and sponsors, demonstrates whole-of-government support for an initiative that advances heritage preservation, international engagement, and economic development simultaneously.

Preserving Heritage for Future Generations

How does a modern festival keep an ancient tradition alive for young Saudis? The Saudi Falcons Club operates year-round programs, including the Mazayen competitions and the elite rounds honored at the ceremony, that engage amateurs and young falconers alongside seasoned professionals. By creating structured pathways from amateur to professional competition, the festival ensures that expertise is transmitted across generations. The amateur categories recognized in Riyadh are particularly important, as they lower barriers to entry and encourage newcomers to take up the sport under expert guidance.

The festival’s inclusion of the Mazayen competition — a beauty contest for falcons — reflects the breadth of knowledge involved in falconry, from training and hunting to breeding and care. This multidimensionality helps sustain specialized skills that might otherwise fade. It also supports the conservation dimension of falconry, as responsible practitioners have strong incentives to protect raptor populations and their habitats. The Saudi Falcons Club has been associated with breeding and research initiatives that complement its competition calendar.

For international audiences, the festival offers a window into a Saudi Arabia that is modernizing rapidly while remaining rooted in its traditions. The image of 1,032 falconers from nine countries gathered in Malham is a powerful statement that heritage and progress can advance together. This balance is central to the Kingdom’s cultural strategy and to the Vision 2030 goal of a vibrant society proud of its identity.

Vision 2030 Alignment

How does honoring falconers in Riyadh connect to the Kingdom’s long-term transformation? The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival sits at the intersection of several Vision 2030 pillars: a vibrant society with strong cultural roots, a thriving economy with diversified revenue streams, and an ambitious nation engaged globally. By investing in heritage sports, Saudi Arabia preserves intangible cultural assets while generating tourism, media, and commercial activity. The record SAR36 million prize pool and the participation of 160 international falconers illustrate how tradition can be scaled into a world-class event.

The Saudi Falcons Club, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Interior, exemplifies the institutional capacity the Kingdom has built to manage such initiatives professionally. As Saudi Arabia continues to host global events and welcome visitors under Vision 2030, the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival will remain a flagship demonstration of cultural pride and international openness. The honors presented on December 24 celebrate individual excellence, but they also celebrate a national story of continuity and renewal — one that the Kingdom is sharing with the world.

20 Questions

Q1. What is the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival?

A1. It is an annual falconry competition organized by the Saudi Falcons Club in Malham, north of Riyadh. Named after the Kingdom’s founder, it is the largest festival of its kind and combines Al-Malwah racing and Mazayen beauty competitions.

Q2. Who honored the winners of the 2024 festival?

A2. Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Falcons Club, honored the champions at a ceremony in Riyadh on December 24, 2024.

Q3. What is the King’s Sword award?

A3. The King’s Sword is the festival’s most prestigious honor, awarded to falconers whose birds excel in the most demanding rounds. In 2024 it went to Barghash Mohammed Al-Mansouri and Faisal Al-Qahtani.

Q4. Who received the King Abdulaziz Cup?

A4. Winners of the elite rounds received the King Abdulaziz Cup, including Barghash Mohammed Al-Mansouri, Amin Abdullah Al-Mallah, Mohammed Hafez Al-Marri, Fahd Mohammed Al-Mansouri, Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Buainain, and Hamid Mohammed Al-Mansouri.

Q5. When and where was the 2024 festival held?

A5. The festival ran from December 3 to 19, 2024, at the Saudi Falcons Club headquarters in Malham, located north of Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Q6. How many falconers participated in 2024?

A6. A total of 1,032 falconers participated, including 160 international participants. This made the 2024 edition the largest in the festival’s history by number of competitors.

Q7. Which countries were represented?

A7. Falconers came from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Syria, Italy, and Ireland, reflecting the festival’s growing international reach across the Gulf, the Levant, and Europe.

Q8. How many falcons competed?

A8. The festival featured 3,322 falcons across its competitions, highlighting the depth of participation and the central role of the birds in Al-Malwah and Mazayen events.

Q9. What was the total prize money?

A9. More than SAR36 million was awarded in prizes, a record for the event. The prize pool makes the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival one of the richest traditional sports competitions globally.

Q10. How many competition rounds were held?

A10. There were 138 rounds across the Al-Malwah and Mazayen competitions, covering elite, professional, owner, and amateur categories, as well as the Mazayen beauty rounds.

Q11. What is Al-Malwah?

A11. Al-Malwah is the timed competition in which falcons are judged on speed and precision in a hunting-style format. It is one of the two main competition categories at the festival.

Q12. What is Mazayen?

A12. Mazayen is the beauty competition in which falcons are evaluated on conformation, plumage, and overall appearance. Winners of the Mazayen rounds were also honored at the ceremony.

Q13. Who organized the festival?

A13. The Saudi Falcons Club organized the festival under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The club is chaired by the Minister of Interior.

Q14. Why is falconry important in Saudi culture?

A14. Falconry, or al-qanas, has been practiced in Arabia for millennia and is a symbol of Bedouin heritage, patience, and skill. It is recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.

Q15. How does the festival support Vision 2030?

A15. It advances Vision 2030 by preserving cultural heritage, attracting international visitors, generating economic activity, and showcasing Saudi Arabia as a global destination for sport and culture.

Q16. What did the Minister of Interior do at the ceremony?

A16. Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud presented the King’s Sword and King Abdulaziz Cup, honored elite and Mazayen winners, and recognized the sponsors of the 2024 Saudi Falcons Club events.

Q17. Who were the sponsors honored?

A17. The ceremony recognized sponsors of the 2024 Saudi Falcon Club events whose support enabled the festival’s operations, prizes, and hospitality. Specific sponsor names were not detailed in the official report.

Q18. How does the festival benefit the Saudi economy?

A18. It stimulates hospitality, transport, retail, and media activity, supports the falconry industry including breeding and equipment, and promotes tourism to Riyadh and surrounding areas.

Q19. What categories of falconers competed?

A19. Competitions included elite rounds and categories for professionals, owners, and amateurs, ensuring that falconers at different experience levels could compete for awards and recognition.

Q20. What is the significance of international participation?

A20. International participation from nine countries strengthens cultural exchange, positions Saudi Arabia as a global hub for falconry, and supports the Kingdom’s soft-power and tourism objectives under Vision 2030.

---