Doha, December 31 (QNA) - The contests of the 17th Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2026), patronized by HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, are set to kickstart tomorrow Thursday at Marmi Sabkha in Sealine and will continue until January 24, 2026.

This festival has been annually held as part of the State of Qatar's efforts to preserve the falconry heritage as a time-honored Qatari and Gulf legacy, as well as a global event, since Qatar, alongside several other countries, had it successfully inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2011.

Since then, the festival has been positioning itself as a consequential landmark of this global heritage, bringing together thousands of Qatari and Gulf falconers, along with a contingent of birds-of-prey handlers from Arab and foreign nations. The festival also receives important visits from falconry enthusiasts and breeders globally.

Chairperson of the Championships of the Qatari Society of Al Gannas and the Marmi Festival, Muteb Mubarak Al Qahtani, said the festival is mostly an annual flagship showcase for falconers not only at home but beyond, thanks to the strength of these competitions.

The festival showcases this legacy in a way that is endeared to all, and simultaneously preserves this heritage for falconers, in addition to promoting sustainability, Al Qahtani noted.

He added that this year's event will showcase a new visual identity derived from Qatar's time-honored legacy which is cherished by all people of Qatar, emphasizing that the custodians of this festival have been committed to observing this identity in designing the venue at Marmi Sabkha, typically featuring high-rises inspired by historic Qatari skyscrapers, as well as their colors that portray Qatar's soil and landscape.

Al Qahtani further clarified that this year's festival will open with the suspenseful Haddad Championship, which earns special attention from falconers at home, as well as a record number of Arab Gulf falconers.

The Haddad challenges have been garnering general momentum year after year, owing to the strong competition between young falcons and homing pigeons, alongside the substantial QR 100,000 accolade conferred directly to the victor on site, Al Qahtani pointed out.

He explained that victors then make the cut toward the final round to compete in grand accolades.

Al Qahtani further added that this challenge draws 18 groups and will be held daily in the evening until January 20, except Saturday, January 3, when other competitions are going to be held.

On the second day of the festival, the Al Talaa competition is poised to kick off in the morning with 30 competitors, with five groups daily starting from Friday until Wednesday, the day of the qualifiers contest, followed by a draw among those who have made the cut for the second round, then those qualified for the finals, Al Qahtani explained.

Al Qahtani recalled that the local Da'wa contest will be held on January 13, measuring the speed of falcons over a 400-meter course, with qualifying rounds running to the 16th across juvenile and qarnass categories for Gyr, Saker, and Free Falcons.

The competitions are scheduled for the morning of January 19, followed by the International Da'wa final on January 20, with registration details to be announced later, he explained.

Al Qahtani further noted that the Hadd Al Tahaddi Championship final will take place on the evening of January 23, while the Mazayin Championship will be held on the following Saturday.

Falconers were urged to be punctual, as morning competitions begin at 5:00 a.m. and evening preparations start at 11:00 a.m., to ensure compliance with festival regulations, as they are key partners in the success of the festival, which proudly hoists the name of the nation, Al Qahtani underlined.

For his part, Chairman of the preparation and events committee, Saeed Rashid Al Nuaimi, said the festival venue has been fully equipped to best suit its domestic and global reputation through factoring in an array of standards that should be in place, starting from the road leading to the venue by paving the streets and to bunt them up with flags signifying the exact location of this venue across over 10 km spaces.

The organizing committee confirmed that the fields of all tournaments have been fully equipped, alongside this festival, with necessary road paving from the Sealine roundabout until the event venue. (QNA)