Seventy eight companies from 16 countries are taking part in Dubai’s Arab Hunting Expo, opened Monday under the patronage of Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammad Al Maktoum at Dubai World Trade Center.
The event is organized by Mediac Communications & Promotion.
The Dsubai-based Arabic daily, Al Bayan, quoted the organizers as saying that the 800 state-of-the-art hunting equipment and accessories are on display at the exhibition.
Pavilions are built on an area of 1600 square meters, compared to 1100 last year.
Falcons are still widely kept and trained for sport in the UAE and other Gulf states.
Falconry is particularly favored by the royals and the birds, often specially bred for the sport, are regarded with great respect, according to a Reuters feature story last year on the Emiratis’ interest in the sport and related fields.
The Abu Dhabi Falcon Research Hospital, established around 16 years ago by UAE President Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahayan, is one of the only facilities in the world dedicated solely to medical care and research for falcons.
The hospital has its own pavilion at the exhibition, along with other institutions concerned with birds and falconry.
"Our main function during the hunting season (September to March) is to treat the birds of the royal family," the hospital director, 29-year-old Michael Lierz, told Reuters.
Lierz, who has been director at the hospital for around three years, said the research side focused mainly on improving clinical medicine, finding out more about diseases that affect the birds of prey and developing better treatments – Albawaba.com
