Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh has kickstarted its first-ever edition of the International Falcon Breeders Auction (IFBA) with an exciting display of the French gyrfalcon. Bidders, breeders, and those with a genuine passion for falconry showed tremendous competition at the event.
Many had crossed thousands of miles to attend the IFBA affair featuring the finest breeds of European falcons and which took place in Malham, north of Riyadh.
The Saudi Falcons Club (SFC) is hosting the IFBA with over 14 worldwide countries participating from August 5th to September 5th, 2021.
Bidding on the gyrfalcon from the French SB Falcons farm opened at SAR15,000 and closed at a whopping SAR 24,000. Meanwhile, bidding on a German falcon from another competing farm opened at SAR 10,000 and closed at SAR14,000.
The IFBA featured seven of the finest European falcons presented from farms in Germany, France, Britain, and Spain on its fourth day.
The IFBA aims to provide the rarest falcon breeds in the Kingdom and the region, as well as to attract the most authentic international experiences in the field of falconry to the Kingdom, maintaining the Kingdom as an international destination for these farms, thereby expanding investment opportunities and creating direct and indirect business opportunities.
It is noteworthy to mention that the IFBA has been developed to become a full-service event at the SFC in Malham, where an area is designated for companies providing veterinary products, tools, and supplies for the breeding and training of falcons.
Last October, the Saudi Falcons Club had organized an auction for locally captured falcons, which was a resounding success, with sales of 102 falcons caught in different regions within Saudi Arabia exceeding SAR 10 million.
The auction’s fierce competition between buyers and presence of quality falcons deemed the first-ever locally captured falcon auction a success.
A global milestone was set by selling the world’s most valuable “Shaheen” falcon at the auction, which was entrusted to its owner for SAR 650,000.
