Doha, January 01 (QNA) - The 17th edition of the Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2026) kicked off today at the Marmi Sabkha in the Sealine area, under the patronage of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, and will continue until the 24th of the current month.

The festival, organized by the Qatar Al Gannas Association, is supported by the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund (Daam).

The festival opened with the Hadd Al Tahaddi Championship, dedicated to competition between young peregrine falcons and homing pigeons. In this event, a homing pigeon is released first, followed by the falcon. If the falcon succeeds in catching or trapping the pigeon at a specific location, it is declared the winner and earns a prize of QAR 100,000, in addition to qualifying for the final round and competing for a Lexus car.

The first group of the Hadd Al Tahaddi Championship resulted in the qualification and victory of five falconers: Al Shamsi Team from the UAE, Al Gharbiya Team, Al Mishghar Team, Al Nasraniya Team, and Mohammed Ahmed Al Harbi from the UAE.

Chairman of the Marmi Festival Mutaib Mubarak Al Qahtani and his deputy Abdulwahab Umair Al Nuaimi crowned the winners and qualifiers at the festival venue.

Chairman of the Committees and Official Spokesperson of the Marmi Festival Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Ali said that the 17th edition of the festival reflects continuous development in organization, field operations, and competition regulations, as part of the festival’s commitment to strengthening its role in preserving Qatar’s falconry heritage.

Al Ali said in a statement to the Qatar News Agency (QNA) that each edition of the festival introduces new additions, whether through developing regulations or introducing new competition categories. He noted that this progress is the result of cumulative experience over seventeen editions, which has contributed to improving the level of competition year after year.

He added that this year’s edition, in addition to the championships, places special emphasis on the youth category through the introduction and development of the promising falconer rounds, in a step aimed at instilling a love of falconry and preserving heritage among younger generations. The festival’s official spokesperson noted that this category now includes younger participants who have gradually moved from the Junior Falconer category to the Promising Falconer category, within a clear vision adopted by the festival over the years to enhance falconry skills among new generations.

He also pointed out that the organizing committee has allocated competitions tailored to the abilities of this group, ensuring safety and encouraging participation. He added that several former youth participants now compete alongside professionals in various festival rounds.

Regarding the regional and international dimension, Al Ali affirmed that the festival is an international event open to all falconers and serves as an important platform for showcasing Qatari heritage at both regional and international levels. He stressed that falconry is an integral part of Qatari identity, and that the bond between the falconer and his falcon has long been a deeply rooted symbol in daily life, just as it was in the past when falconers carried their birds with them during their travels.

For his part, Chairman of the Hadd Al Tahaddi Championship Shawi Al Kaabi affirmed that the hunting challenge competitions within the 17th edition of the Qatar Falcons and Hunting Festival began positively. He noted that the results on the first day reflect the participants’ readiness and enthusiasm, and serve as motivation for the remaining competitors to continue competing.

He added that the primary objective of holding the Hadd Al Tahaddi competitions is to ensure the success of the championship and guarantee the safety of participants, stressing the importance of falconers’ adherence to the regulations governing the competition.

Al Kaabi said that the committee was keen to ensure participants’ safety and therefore advised against rushing after the falcons. He noted that the championship operates under a precise system that includes tracking devices and specialized judges, ensuring the falcon’s performance can be monitored and evaluated without the need for risk or haste. He pointed out that these measures aim to protect both the falcons and the competitors, while emphasizing that the organizing committee allows each falcon a full opportunity to reach its target and complete the hunt.

Regarding organizational arrangements, the Chairman of the Hadd Al Tahaddi Championship called on participants to commit to early attendance, explaining that the committee hopes competitors will be present at the competition site by 11:00 a.m. to complete technical and organizational preparations. He stressed that through these regulations, the Marmi Festival seeks to deliver fair and well-organized competitions that reflect the spirit of falconry and ensure everyone’s safety.

The winners praised the efforts of the festival’s organizing committee, affirming that this prominent event plays a major role in preserving this Qatari, Gulf, and even global heritage.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalid Al-Thani, a member of the Al Mishghar team and a qualifier for the Hadd Al Tahaddi final, expressed his happiness at the qualification of the team’s first falcon this year. He noted that the team has achieved major accomplishments in previous editions of the festival and added that the team is participating this year with 11 falcons and stressed that they were ready for competition, the intensity of which was evident from the first day. He also praised the efforts of those in charge of the festival for delivering outstanding championships that meet the needs of falconers.

In a related context, the qualifying rounds of the Al-Tal‘a Championship for groups one through five will begin tomorrow, Friday, during the morning period, while the evening session will feature competitions for the second group of participants in the Hadd Al Tahaddi Championship.

It is worth noting that the festival is held annually as part of Qatar’s efforts to preserve the heritage of falconry as a Qatari and Gulf tradition, as well as a global heritage, following Qatar’s success along with several other countries in registering falconry on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2011.

Since then, the festival has become an important landmark for this global heritage, attracting thousands of falconers from Qatar and the Gulf region, in addition to participants from several Arab and foreign countries, and drawing significant interest from enthusiasts of falconry sports and breeding worldwide. (QNA)