Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and with the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and President of the International Federation for Falconry Sports and Racing, the UAE Falcons Federation has approved the organisation of the Emirates Falcons International Cup. This international falconry championship will be held annually across various continents, beginning with the 2025–2026 season.
The championship aims to elevate falconry and related sports on the global stage, uphold the highest standards of the sport, and strengthen the UAE’s position as a leading destination for falconry. It also seeks to preserve and promote falconry’s rich heritage through innovative approaches.
These goals will be pursued by organising international competitions that foster sportsmanship, encourage healthy competition, advance sustainability, and increase the sport’s popularity in countries worldwide by featuring it prominently in their sporting calendars. The continued guidance of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, Vice President of the International Federation for Falconry Sports and Racing and Vice President of the UAE Falcons Federation, has been instrumental in driving this initiative forward.
Notably, this championship will be the first of its kind to carry the UAE’s name and be held outside the country. Hosting rights will be granted to the nation demonstrating the highest readiness and compliance with the championship’s standards among members of the International Federation for Falconry Sports and Racing. Additional details will be announced in a forthcoming press conference by the UAE Falcons Federation.
H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum affirmed that the leadership’s unstinting support for falconry sports denotes the great importance accorded to preserving diverse aspects of authentic Emirati heritage, especially since falconry represents a distinguished symbol of cultural legacy not only nationally but also globally. He emphasised that the leadership’s support for falconry presents a unique contemporary model to be emulated globally from a cultural and historical perspective, with world-class sporting events further consolidating the impact thereof.
H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed noted that the UAE has set new benchmarks globally in advancing falconry and growing its appeal as a competitive sport, drawing upon its wealth of experience in popularising the sport inspired by the pioneering initiatives and programmes launched decades ago by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who devoted great attention and effort to promoting falconry and other heritage sports, the fruits of which are apparent today.
Sheikh Ahmed added that, thanks to the keen support of its leadership, the UAE has emerged as a global falconry hub and a pioneer in taking the sport global by actively devising strategies and innovative ideas to enhance its reach and sustainability.
For his part, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan welcomed the announcement of the new competition, confirming that it comes at a time when the UAE has secured a leading position for falconry among heritage sports that have generated immense interest globally.
According to him, the country has helped establish a solid base of falconry purveyors and contributed to the creation of an international entity aimed at promoting and organising the sport globally according to competitive rules, principles, and impeccable sporting values in the form of the International Federation for Falconry Sports and Racing.
Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad noted that associating the UAE’s name with major falconry sporting events lends such championships a distinctive character and motivates participants to deliver their best performances and achieve impressive results, given the prestige attached to sporting events named after the homeland.
Meanwhile, Rashid bin Markhan, Secretary-General of the International Federation for Falconry Sports and Racing, and the UAE Falcons Federation, affirmed that the UAE’s unique approach in promoting falconry sports has earned it global acclaim. This success has been achieved through well-studied steps that have enabled this ancient sport to once more take centre stage on the international sporting scene, with falconry’s historical role and close link to the national identity informing all such initiatives, he added.
Bin Markhan expressed his pride in the leadership’s unwavering support for the sport and his gratitude to H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed for his patronage of the Emirates Falcons International Cup. He noted that various entities and institutions concerned with the sport in the UAE work in perfect harmony to popularise it far and wide while celebrating its glorious heritage.
(Inputs from WAM)
