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General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, yesterday donated Dh7.5 million to the Falconry Heritage Trust. The money was handed over to the trust by Shaikh Sultan Bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.
The Falconry Heritage Trust is the international body responsible for preservation of the knowledge and understanding of falconry worldwide. The donation was made during the closing ceremony of the International Falconry Festival held at Englefield Estate, Berkshire, UK. The money will be invested as an endowment fund and grants will be made available to falconers, conservationists and researchers for the preservation and understanding of the Arab desert culture. The Falconry Heritage Trust was established two years ago with the intention to preserve falconry for the world community. The trust will develop an archive of materials relating to the heritage of falconry, and its contribution to conservation, biodiversity, and cultural identity.
Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), explained that the Falconry Festival was originally initiated by the UAE to highlight the sport of falconry that can be found in more than 30 countries. "Part of our commitment to UNESCO is to show that falconry is a global heritage which originally started in Persia over 2,000 years ago and then spread to Europe," he said.
The UAE will host a similar event like the International Falconry Festival that was held in the United Kingdom recently."We will hold a similar event in Abu Dhabi within the next two years," Shaikh Sultan Bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, told Gulf News yesterday on the last day of the festival in the UK.
"It is good to have a festival where we get the chance to meet other people with the same cultural background. Having the event is also good in promoting our cultural heritage," said Shaikh Sultan. A desert heritage park will also be opened in Abu Dhabi. "It will include falconry and all the other traditions that Arabs are known for." Shaikh
Sultan yesterday toured the falconry festival.
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