Qatar Falconry And Hunting Festival Kicks Off Today

Doha: The 17th edition of the Qatar International Falconry and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2026) will commence today, January 1, 2026.

Held under the patronage of H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, the festival will take place at the Marmi Sabkha in Sealine and will continue until January 24, 2026.

The festival is supported by the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund“Daam”. The festival is supported by the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund“Daam”.

The festival, held annually, is part of Qatar's efforts to preserve falconry as a Qatari and Gulf heritage, as well as a global heritage since Qatar, along with several other countries, successfully registered it on Unesco's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2011.

Since then, the festival has been a significant landmark for this global heritage, attracting thousands of falconers from Qatar and the Gulf region, as well as from several Arab and foreign countries.

It also receives important visits from those interested in falconry and falcon breeding worldwide. Director of the Al-Qannas Association Championships and Chairman of the Marmi Festival Mutaib Mubarak Al-Qahtani explained that the Marmi Festival is an important annual event for falconers, not only in Qatar but also in the region, given the strength and diversity of its championships. It serves as an annual platform for preserving our cherished heritage, which is an integral part of our environment.

He emphasized that the festival presents this heritage in an appealing way for everyone, while simultaneously preserving this tradition and hobby for falconers, and promoting sustainability.

Al-Qahtani stated that this year's Marmi Festival will feature a new visual identity, inspired by the rich heritage and history of the State of Qatar.

This was reflected in the design of the festival site in the Marmi Sabkha in Sealine, with its architecture inspired by historical Qatari towers and its colors derived from the soil and natural landscape of Qatar.

He noted that the festival will open this year with the exciting and competitive“Haddad AlTahadi” championship, which attracts special attention from falconers in Qatar, as well as a large number of falconers from the Arabian Gulf region.

He pointed out that this championship witnesses increasing momentum year after year due to the fierce competition and challenge between young falcons and racing pigeons, in addition to the financial value of winning and qualifying.

The winner is crowned directly at the festival site with a prize of 100,000 riyals, in addition to qualifying for the final and competing for the grand prizes of the competition.

The head of the Marmi Festival indicated that the Haddad Al-Tahadi Championship will feature 18 groups this year and will be held daily in the evening until Tuesday, January 20th, except for Saturday, January 3rd, which will see the Promising Falconer Championship competition alongside the Saluki Racing Championship qualifiers, and Saturday, January 17th, which will witness the Saluki R

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