This Is The Costliest Purchase Of A Falcon Ever Made In Saudi Arabia
- Publish date: Sunday، 05 December 2021
It sold for a record breaking $170,000 (650,000 Saudi riyals)
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As Falconry is an important part of the cultural desert heritage of Arabs of Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries going back thousands of years, an annual 45-day auction of the hunting birds cherished in Gulf countries takes place in Saudi Arabia every year.
The auction was founded in 2017 and this year is being held from October 3 to November 15. It is organized by the Saudi Falcon Club, while being supported by the government as a way to preserve and nurture this heritage activity.
This year a specific type of falcon - a young Shaheen breed, a type of peregrine falcon was sold for an enormous amount of 650,000 Saudi riyals ($173,000) due its unique nature and scarce availability as reported by The Saudi Falcon Club, in a statement. Adding the falcon, weighing 1.1 kg, was captured from the wild in Hafer Al Batin, in north-east Saudi Arabia,
Falcons, whose flight speeds can exceed 300 km an hour, are recognised internationally as endangered. Countries have varying regulations governing their sale, capture, breeding and hunting activities. However, falcon owners in the Gulf, seeking hunting opportunities, commonly travel with their birds inside plane cabins to countries like Pakistan, Morocco and the central Asian region during colder months.
Lead image courtesy of unsplash/@madinah_mint
This article was previously published on UAE Moments.To see the original article, click here