Falconers and participants after winning a competition on the first day of the festival.
DOHA: The 17th edition of the Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2026) kicked off yesterday at the Marmi Sabkha in the Sealine area, under the patronage of H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, and will continue until the 24th of the current month.
The festival, organised by the Qatar Al Gannas Association, is supported by the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund (Daam).
The festival opened with the Hadd Al Tahaddi Championship, dedicated to competition between young peregrine falcons and homing pigeons. In this event, a homing pigeon is released first, followed by the falcon. If the falcon succeeds in catching or trapping the pigeon at a specific location, it is declared the winner and earns a prize of QR100,000, in addition to qualifying for the final round and competing for a Lexus car.
The first group of the Hadd Al Tahaddi Championship resulted in the qualification and victory of five falconers: Al Shamsi Team from the UAE, Al Gharbiya Team, Al Mishghar Team, Al Nasraniya Team, and Mohammed Ahmed Al Harbi from the UAE.
Chairman of the Marmi Festival Mutaib Mubarak Al Qahtani and his deputy Abdulwahab Umair Al Nuaimi crowned the winners and qualifiers at the festival venue.
Chairman of the Committees and Official Spokesperson of the Marmi Festival Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Ali said that the 17th edition of the festival reflects continuous development in organization, field operations, and competition regulations, as part of the festival’s commitment to strengthening its role in preserving Qatar’s falconry heritage.
Al Ali said in a statement to the Qatar News Agency (QNA) that each edition of the festival introduces new additions, whether through developing regulations or introducing new competition categories.
He noted that this progress is the result of cumulative experience over seventeen editions, which has contributed to improving the level of competition year after year.
He added that this year’s edition, in addition to the championships, places special emphasis on the youth category through the introduction and development of the promising falconer rounds, in a step aimed at instilling a love of falconry and preserving heritage among younger generations.
