Riyadh: Falcon sold for more than $70,000 in auction

A rare falcon was sold for a record 270,000 Saudi Riyals (approximately $72,000) on the second night of the International Falcon Breeders Auction (IFBA) in Riyadh, reported the Saudi Gazette on Sunday.

The IFBA was held at the Saudi Falcons Club (SFC) located in Malham, North of Riyadh. The event kicked off last Thursday with leading breeders from 14 countries and is expected to go on till September 5.

The auctioned falcon is reported to be the most expensive falcon bred by Saudi breeders at the Al-Aradi Farm. It weighs 1105 grams, is 17-and-a-half inches long, and is 16-and three-quarters inches wide.

The falcon was sold to Saudi falconer Moteb Munir Al-Ayafi who named it 'Raghwan'. Al-Ayafi revealed that he plans to participate in the “falcon beauty pageant” which will reward the owner of the most beautiful falcon with a cash prize of 300,000 Saudi Riyals.

Al-Ayafi’s profession in falconry was inherited from his family and he previously has won championships in horse beauty contests. He also aims to compete in the fourth edition of the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, the largest event of its kind.

Saudi Falcons Club (SFC) announced the timetable for its upcoming events scheduled to be held at the SFC’s headquarters in Malham later this year. The events will serve falconers from Saudi Arabia and around the world.

The SFC added that IFBA was one of the first events of its kind and the upcoming events seek to meet the needs and desires of falconers. SFC also aims to further develop and innovate the profession of falconry.

The last event from SFC for 2021 will be the fourth edition of the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, termed the largest event of its kind. The festival has also set two Guinness World Records in terms of the number of participating falcons.