Souq Waqif falcon shops see demand soaring

According to a report by local Arabic daily Arrayah, the main sources of these falcons include Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Germany, Spain, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, Russia and Belarus. The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) has eased the entry of the imported falcons into the country, as pointed out by a shop owner. For example, the procedures to issue an import permit takes only one week, after the shop comply with all the required conditions. These include submitting an application, the approval of the protection and wildlife department, the necessary laboratory examinations at the source country and handing the licence to the custom clearance officer. Another falcon shop owner pointed that the available falcons are of two main types: those produced at falcon farms where the eggs are incubated in special conditions, and the wild falcons, which are caught by specialists. The wild falcons are more powerful and naturally experienced in hunting as most of them often spent many months or even years in the wild. A shop owner stressed that the wild falcons are highly favoured by falconers, and most are usually presold before even imported into the country. The wild falcons from Mongolia in particular have the highest prices and the best characteristics regarding physical capabilities and beauty. On the other hand, falcons from Iran are priced the lowest even though they have excellent qualities. The wild falcons prices start at QR5,000 and up to QR1.5mn based on the distinctive qualities of each bird.Fayez Hussein al-Ahmed, in charge of a falcon shop, said that his shop is keen to provide its customers with different types of falcons from different countries according to their needs and preferences. "Recently a wild Mongolian falcon was sold for QR150,000, as it is considered one of the best types in hunting, endurance and in terms of resistance to diseases," he recalled.Khalid Mohamed, from another falcon shop, noted that the demand for various types of falcons is very high because of the approaching hunting season and the related contests held by various entities. Nayif al-Marri, a customer, pointed out that the shops at Souq Waqif provide falconers with all their needs including vitamins and dietary supplements, and training tools. "Falconers often get ready for the season from now but the actual hunting season starts from the end of October when the temperature drops and the weather improves," he added.