Under the patronage HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, the 16th edition of the Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2025) is set to begin on January 1.

Organised by Al Gannas Qatari Society, the festival will run until February 1 in Sabkha Marmi in Sealine Area, with support from the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund (Daam).

Marmi Festival chairman Mutaib al-Qahtani has announced that the event will kick off this year with the Haddad Al Tahadi Championship.

This competition is dedicated to young Shaheen falcons and involves releasing a homing pigeon and the falcon, with the winning prizes awarded to the falcon that captures or corners the pigeon.

Winners receive a prize of QR100,000 and qualify for the final to compete for a Lexus car.

The Haddad Al Tahadi Championship will span three days, from Wednesday to Friday, with one group competing each day.

On January 4, qualifiers for the Saluki Race will take place.

The Talaa Championship will commence on January 5, for Groups 1-5.

This competition tests a falcon's vision and hunting instincts, with bustard birds placed 2km away.

The falcon that spots, chases, and catches the prey first advances to the finals.

The Talaa Championship will run on January 5-10, with five groups competing each morning.

Meanwhile, the Haddad Al Tahadi qualifiers for Groups 4-9 will take place in the evenings during the same period, followed by evening matches for Groups 10-13 on January 11-14.

Al-Qahtani also announced that the Daw Local Championship, measuring falcon speed over a 400m distance, will begin on January 15, with the Shaheen Falcons category.

Qualifiers for various categories will follow, concluding with the final matches on January 18.

Concurrently, the evening sessions will feature the Haddad Al Tahadi Championship for Groups 14-16, along with the Saluki Race final on January 18.

The Haddad Al Tahadi Championship will resume on January 19 for Groups 17-18 on January 20, with the Daw Local final held on January 21.

The international Daw final for all categories will follow on January 22, with registration open until January 17.

From January 23-25, additional Haddad Al Tahadi matches and other key events, such as the Falconer of the Future competition for ages 11-15, will take place.

This event tests young participants in a 200m Daw race under specific falcon size criteria.

The Haddad Al Tahadi Championship for Groups 21-23 will run on January 26-28, with the final match on January 31.

The festival will conclude on February 1 with the Mazayen Championship, an international contest for the most beautiful falcons.