Saudi National Center for Falcons Opens 2026 International Falcon Breeders Auction in Riyadh

The National Center for Falcons in Saudi Arabia opened the International Falcon Breeders Auction 2026 on Wednesday at its headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh, with leading local and international breeding farms taking part in the 21-day event.

The auction, which runs from August 5 to 25, brings together breeders, falconers and buyers to showcase and trade high-quality falcons in one of the world’s largest specialized events of its kind.

The auction is the Center’s first event since the Saudi Council of Ministers approved its new regulatory framework, expanding its mandate to preserve falconry as part of the Kingdom’s cultural heritage, develop the sector, organize auctions and events, and strengthen partnerships at home and abroad.

The event brings together breeding farms, falconers and buyers in a specialized marketplace, where farms display their falcons in dedicated booths and sell them through a live auction platform. The venue also includes booths for falconry supplies, while television coverage and social media livestreams allow audiences in Saudi Arabia and abroad to follow the sales.

Talal AlShamaisi, Chief Executive Officer of the National Center for Falcons, said the auction comes as the Center moves into a new phase of development, offering a wider selection of premium falcon breeds and streamlining display and sale procedures.

He said the Center provides support services for participating farms and their falcons from their arrival in Riyadh until sales are completed.

The auction, AlShamaisi added, is the largest event of its kind globally, bringing leading breeding farms together under one roof and providing a platform for falconers and breeders to exchange expertise and take part in workshops.

He said the event supports the development of the falcon breeding sector, noting that last year’s edition attracted 67 farms from 23 countries and recorded growth in sales, falcons sold, and participating farms and countries.

The Center aims to build on last year’s results by attracting more breeding farms and offering falconers and buyers a wider range of options. The auction is also being linked more closely to the Center’s competitions and events, giving farm-bred falcons sold at the event a pathway into competitive arenas.

This year’s edition includes a new feature, with all juvenile-category rounds in the Al-Melwah falcon competitions reserved for falcons sold through the International Falcon Breeders Auction.

The measure links auction sales directly to the competition circuit, allowing falconers seeking birds for those rounds to choose from falcons bred by local and international farms.

In 2025, the auction generated more than SR 13 million in sales, up 23% from 2024. The number of falcons sold rose 27% to 1,103, while participation reached 67 breeding farms from 23 countries, including 19 Saudi farms.

The figures represented a 20% increase in the number of participating farms and a 21% rise in participating countries.

Last year’s auction included several high-value deals, led by the sale of a Pure Gyr Super White falcon from a U.S. farm for SR 1.2 million. In previous editions, individual deals reached as much as SR 1.75 million.

Preparations for international farms begin before the falcons arrive at the auction site and include transport, reception and veterinary care. In recent days, batches of falcons arrived by air and were transported from King Khalid International Airport to the venue in Malham under specialist supervision.

The falcons underwent health checks and received the required care before being presented to buyers.

Sales follow a set process, starting with an agreement between the seller and buyer. A medical examination is available at the buyer’s request before the falcon’s type and category are identified, legal and financial procedures are completed, and the falcon’s details and owner information are registered.

An identification ring carrying the falcon’s data is then fitted before the sale is documented and ownership is transferred to the new owner.

UzA