The tour to UAE is all about experiencing the charms and the beauty of living a life in the desert. When people visit a desert, they want to enjoy all the perks of living a desert life, including an overnight stay at the camps, morning safari view, camel ride, and what more than how come you forget the most important Falconry in Dubai show.
As we all know, Falcon is the national bird of UAE, so it’s not a surprise that there are plenty of opportunities for the visitors to enjoy a glimpse of the practice and also to handle the bird under the supervisors. The images of the falcons appear widely in local currency, street signs, and even on their national emblem.
Back in the old days, Bedouin Arabs trained the falcons for hunting because falcons would help find and kill animals like birds, hares, and gazelles, which were food sources for Arabs.
HISTORY OF FALCONRY IN DUBAI
The history of falconry is almost 4000 years old when the Arabs used Falcons for hunting. Today it’s one of the most honored sports. Falcons get training for months to take part in various competitions.
Falcon is a symbol of courage, nobility, pride, and honor among Arabs. They admire their beauty and speed a lot. Besides this, Falcons are like art for Emirates, as they take good care and train them with a special everlasting bond.
IMPORTANCE OF FALCONRY IN DUBAI
Falconry, as we know, is the symbol of courage, nobility, and honor. In addition to such precious values, it also represents the values that allowed the flourish of the virtues of patience, companionship, and willpower.
Falconry provides the resource to maintain the domestic breeding population of rare raptors. Falcons always have been a crucial bird for hunting in the Arabian region for a long time.
The importance of Falcon has increased so much in recent years that they have established two hospitals to take care of their national bird. The purpose of these hospitals is to focus on treating the most important bird of the region, the falcons.
Above all, Falcons are the only animals that have access inside the airplanes, and also they can enjoy the luxuries of business class and first class.
TRAINING OF FALCONS
The falcons are not a piece of cake. One has to be vigilant and have a lot of patience to understand the behavior of birds like Falcons. The ideal age to train a Falcon is seven months while the training process is for about three to four months.
KINDS OF FALCONRY IN UAE
Some of the kinds of falconry shows which take place in the UAE are briefly described below.
Traditional Falconry
The traditional falconry demonstration is mostly a part of most desert safaris packages. These falcons provide a glimpse of the rich history in this region. You will also witness how the trainers have tamed their falcons to fly and swoop for lures. Once they attack the lures, they are rewarded with their favorite snack, which is mostly quail. Moreover, the guests also get the opportunity to take photos with these falcons.
Modern Falconry –
As the name suggests, it is modern falconry. Therefore, the techniques used in this technique are high-tech, like high-end drones that keep the falcons fit. It also helps the guest to enjoy both old and new techniques. Additionally, they also provide a modern demonstration on two of their desert safaris.
Bedouin Falconry
An Emirati conducts this kind of falcon show in Al Marmoom Desert. It’s a part of the collection of experiences and the most traditional falcon show. This kind of falconry show is slightly less structured, where guests can ask questions related to Falcons and Falconry.
Exclusive Falconry in UAE
Falcons are the status symbol and associated with the luxury class, especially in the UAE. On this tour of Exclusive Falconry, one can enjoy the country’s best trained and most valuable falcons. Its best for the people who want to explore the high-end experience that helps them to learn more about the cultural significance of the Falcons in the UAE.
FALCONRY, A TRADITIONAL SPORT
In 2002, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammad bin Rashid, son of the billionaire ruler of Dubai, introduced new sports to the Arab world, Falcon racing, and nowadays falcons are mainly used sports events.
There are two types of falconry show in Dubai. A trainer swings a prey which lets the Falcon fly in a circle around him to chase prey. Once the falcon chases the prey, the trainer allows it to eat the prey. This type of show is often known as a shotgun falcon.
In particular, Dubai is famous for camel and horse races. However, we can’t deny the fact that the falcon race also holds the same level of importance as these races are. The race starts, and trainers stand at the finishing line holding lures to attract the falcons. Whoever finishes first, becomes the winner.
Types of Races
According to technological challenges, the falconry race can be further classified into the following types for the achievements of utmost appreciation.
· Telwah
Telwah is the queen of races, which involves many competitors. According to the event, the falcons have to cover a distance of 400 meters -600 meters by flying close to the ground while staying in their respective boundary line. The competition is tough, however, the best Falcon covers the distance in just 16 seconds.
· Balloon
A falcon must detach a fake prey that is attached to a hot air balloon at the height of 150 meters in the minimum period. Judges show start and stop signs manually to visualize when the falcons detach prey.
· Airplane
A radio-controlled fake prey is attached to the airplane to take a route as ”doors”, and falcons have to chase the airplane without catching it. In this race, falcons and the pilot are in a team, and the pilot must let the Falcon chase his target in minimum time. The timing is recorded via single lidar, which acts as a start and a stop for the race.
Falcon Heritage Sports Center
The Falcon is a national symbol of the UAE, and it has always been part of history in Arab. Even though the heritage center might not be so famous, it holds great importance in tourism. The center is primarily full of people who love falcons or the ones who bring their birds for a regular check-up. The timings of the heritage sports are 10:00 AM-12:30 PM and 4:00 PM-10 PM.
Different Falconry Ways To Enjoy
While you are in Dubai and experiencing different desert safaris, here are some of the falconry desert safaris that will surely make your trip memorable.
Small-Group Falconry Tour
Fly a falcon from your hands to collect lures and return to you. This desert safari is all about focusing on the wildlife animals that are key to the landscapes. Join this falconry session to experience the falcons flying from your hand. The duration of this safari is 5 hours. Meanwhile, you can also enjoy the falconry show for 2 hours. The package includes pick and drop from your destination. You can use falconry gloves and other equipment as well.
On the other side, be conscious and look for gazelles, hares, Arabian oryx, lizards, etc. found readily in the deserts.
Private Desert Safari Tour
Enjoy the private desert safari without any kind of hustle bustle of groups. You can enjoy the private desert safari by seeing the falconry show. Here, you can see the falcons and birds flying from your hands. In the private falconry, you can also experience meeting falcons and other birds as well. Upgrade to add on breakfast at Al Maha Desert Resort. People here can also watch the training method performed with drones. The package includes pick and drop from your destination and a private tour guide as well.
Evening Desert Safari
Enjoy the 90mins of falconry experience that includes owls, eagles, hawks, falcons, and wildlife drive, with refreshments such as Arabic coffee and dates. You will get a pick and drop service from your destination and will also get a chance to be with a professional guide and professional falconers.
Season of Falconry
Although the different events and competitions of Falconry take place at different times of the year, the ideal falconry season is from mid of November to mid of February. This experience of falconry requires good weather. In case, if the weather is poor, it will be canceled, and you will get a new date or full payment refund.
Final Verdict
Falconry is certainly one of the best experiences tourists can have in the UAE. It is a highly recommended thing to explore if you want to enjoy your trip to the deserts of UAE to the fullest, without missing anything exciting and memorable like Falconry.
Likewise, it is a great opportunity for bird lovers to experience watching shows of one of the most beautiful birds of its species, the Falcon. So, do not miss this beautiful experience of Falconry while traveling to the UAE.
Frequently asked questions (FAQS)
Q. Is it legal to own a falcon in Dubai?
A. Yes, only if a person is a state resident or citizen of the state.
Q. How much does a falcon cost in UAE?
A. The cost of the Falcon ranges from Dh 4000 to Dh,5000 for a peregrine and up to Dh 100,000 for the top quality.
Q. Where can we see falcons in Dubai?
A. Emirati conducts a. Falcon show in Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve.
Q. Are falcons expensive?
A. Falcons generally do not cost less than $1000. Some of them are more expensive than that.
Q. Can we hunt falcons?
A. No, hunting the falcons is prohibited in Dubai. If someone is caught doing hunting will be fined heavily.
Q. For how long does a falcon live?
A. A falcon can live for up to 15 years and sometimes longer.
