UAE Launches Emirates Falcons International Cup: Falconry’s Global Sporting Expansion
DUBAI, 20th August 2025 – In a significant step towards promoting falconry as an international sport, the UAE Falcons Federation has announced the establishment of the Emirates Falcons International Cup. This groundbreaking international falconry championship is slated to be held annually across multiple continents starting from the 2025–2026 season, in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The championship aims to elevate falconry and its associated disciplines on the global sporting stage. By incorporating innovative strategies, the initiative seeks not only to raise the standard of the sport but also to consolidate the UAE’s position as a leading destination for falconry. The event reinforces the nation’s commitment to preserving and promoting heritage, fostering a sense of sportsmanship and healthy competition while ensuring that the sport continues to grow among countries and communities worldwide.
Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan has played a pivotal role in this initiative, whose ongoing support and follow-up have provided essential momentum to the project.
Notably, this will be the first official falconry championship bearing the UAE’s name to take place outside the country. Hosting rights will be granted based on a nation’s readiness and compliance with the championship standards among members of the International Federation for Falconry Sports and Racing. Further details are expected to be revealed at a forthcoming press conference organized by the UAE Falcons Federation.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum commented on the announcement, emphasizing the lasting support from the nation’s leadership. He said, “the leadership’s unstinting support for falconry sports denotes the great importance accorded to preserving diverse aspects of authentic Emirati heritage, especially since falconry represents a distinguished symbol of cultural legacy not only nationally but also globally.” He further highlighted that such efforts provide “a unique contemporary model to be emulated globally from a cultural and historical perspective, with world-class sporting events further consolidating the impact thereof.” Sheikh Ahmed also pointed to the UAE’s pioneering contributions to falconry advancement, inspired by initiatives of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan welcomed the new competition, noting that it reaffirms the UAE’s leading role in the field: “the country has helped establish a solid base of falconry purveyors and contributed to the creation of an international entity aimed at promoting and organising the sport globally according to competitive rules, principles, and impeccable sporting values in the form of the International Federation for Falconry Sports and Racing.” He added that associating the UAE’s name with major falconry sporting events “lends such championships a distinctive character and motivates participants to deliver their best performances and achieve impressive results, given the prestige attached to sporting events named after the homeland.”
Rashid bin Markhan, Secretary-General of the International Federation for Falconry Sports and Racing and the UAE Falcons Federation, praised the UAE’s global acclaim in falconry: “the UAE’s unique approach in promoting falconry sports has earned it global acclaim. This success has been achieved through well-studied steps that have enabled this ancient sport to once more take centre stage on the international sporting scene.” Bin Markhan expressed gratitude for continued leadership support and underlined the harmonious collaboration among UAE sporting bodies in popularising falconry worldwide.
With the Emirates Falcons International Cup, the UAE is set to reaffirm its legacy as the world’s falconry hub, inspiring international engagement in this historic and culturally significant sport.
Team V.4-EM-UAE
